榆林市

Why this place

Yulin (Shaanxi) sits at the edge of the Mu Us desert, where the Great Wall marked the boundary with the steppe. Its old town is well preserved, and the surrounding country is sand, loess and the wall — a genuinely frontier landscape.

What to see

• The Yulin old town, with its Ming streets and the Zhenbeitai tower — the largest surviving Ming watchtower
• The Mu Us desert edge and the Hongjiannao lake, a desert wetland
• The Great Wall stretches and the loess landforms of the north

What to eat

• Shaanxi northern cooking: mutton, millet and the local 'yangza' soup
• Yulin is known for its 'dong' dates and its 'hapopo' fried cakes

Best time

May–October