殷墟

Why this place

Yinxu is the site of the last capital of the Shang dynasty, and it is where the oracle bones were excavated: turtle shells and animal bones inscribed with divination records, in the earliest form of Chinese writing. It is the birthplace of the written Chinese script, and a UNESCO site.

What to see

• The palace and temple foundations, and the royal tombs
• The pit where the oracle bones were found, and the museum's collection of them
• The bronze vessels and the chariot pits, with their buried horses and drivers
• The Fu Hao tomb, the only intact royal Shang tomb found, in the museum

What to eat

• Henan's lamb noodles and the local braised dishes
• Anyang's flatbreads and its 'three-baked' pancakes

How to plan

Half a day from Anyang, which is on the high-speed line from Beijing and Zhengzhou.

Best time

April–May and September–October