咸阳市

Why this place

Xianyang was the capital of the Qin dynasty — the first empire — and although the city was destroyed, the surrounding plain is dense with imperial tombs: nine Han emperors and many Tang ones, forming a line of earth pyramids across the plain.

What to see

• The Han Yangling tomb, the best-presented Han imperial tomb, with its underground museum
• The Qianling tomb of Gaozong and Wu Zetian, and the Tang tombs with their stone lions and horses
• The Xianyang Museum and the Qin palace sites
• Maoling, the tomb of Emperor Wu of Han, the largest of the Han mounds

What to eat

• Shaanxi cooking, with the local 'xianyang' noodle dishes
• The plain's apples, persimmons and wheat products

Best time

March–May and September–November