武威市

Why this place

Wuwei was a Han dynasty garrison town on the Silk Road, and it is where the Flying Horse of Gansu was excavated — a bronze horse with one hoof on a flying swallow, now one of the most recognisable images of Chinese art. The city has also held a Confucian temple and a large Tang pagoda for centuries.

What to see

• The Leitai Han tomb, where the Flying Horse was found, and the Wuwei museum
• The Wuwei Confucian temple, one of the largest in the northwest
• The Kumarajiva temple and the Tang-dynasty Great Pagoda
• The Qilian Mountains and the Hexi Corridor country

What to eat

• Gansu lamb and noodles; Wuwei is known for its 'sanpao' tea (with longan, dates and rock sugar)
• The local 'liangzhou' and its dried fruit

Best time

May–October