渭南市

Why this place

Weinan is the city below Huashan, one of China's five sacred mountains and the one famous for danger: a narrow ridge with a plank path bolted to a sheer cliff, and stairs so steep they are cut as grooves in the rock. It is a genuine test even with the modern safety gear.

What to see

• Huashan's five peaks and the plank road on the south peak — the famous 'death path'
• The sunrise from the east peak, for anyone staying on the mountain overnight
• The Changkong plank walk and the steep granite stairs, with the cable car as the easier option
• Sima Qian's tomb and ancestral hall, since the great historian was from here

What to eat

• Shaanxi cooking; Weinan is known for its 'shizhu' and its 'pucheng' steamed buns
• The local 'biangbiang' noodles, since this is Shaanxi noodle country

Best time

April–June and September–October

Practical tips

• Huashan gets extremely crowded on holidays — the plank walk can queue for hours; go midweek and start at dawn