株洲市

Why this place

Zhuzhou is a rail and locomotive manufacturing city — one of China's main rolling-stock centres — and it is also the place where the first Chinese-made electric locomotive and later the high-speed train technology were produced. It is not a tourist city, but the industrial scale is impressive.

What to see

• The CRRC locomotive works, which is the source of much of China's rail equipment
• Yandi Mausoleum and the Yan Emperor sites, which draw Chinese pilgrims to the area
• The Xiang River and the old town's riverside

What to eat

• Hunan chilli-forward cooking and the local rice noodles
• Zhuzhou is known for its smoked and cured meats

Best time

March–May and October–November