Hefei

Capital of Anhui, transport gateway to Mt Huangshan and the Hongcun-Xidi villages. Less of a destination, more of a transit hub.

Hefei is a modern provincial capital that has been so thoroughly rebuilt over the past four decades that little of its historical layering survives above ground. It is now principally a technology and education hub — home to the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), one of the country's top research universities, and to a cluster of technology firms — rather than a city visitors come to see. Most travellers who pass through Hefei are doing precisely that: passing through, en route to the landscapes of southern Anhui.

The principal draw in the city itself is Bao Gong Park, built around the memory of Bao Zheng, the Song dynasty magistrate whose incorruptibility became legendary across Chinese literature and opera. The park includes a memorial hall, a garden, and a lake; it is pleasant rather than essential. The Anhui Provincial Museum has one of the better regional collections in central China, with strong holdings in bronzes, ancient paintings, and artefacts from the Huizhou culture that dominated southern Anhui.

The real argument for Hefei is logistical. Hefei South station is a hub on the high-speed rail network, connecting to Shanghai in around two hours, Nanjing in 50 minutes, and — via connection — to the rest of the network. The dedicated Hefei-Fuyang-Wuhan and Hefei-Hangzhou lines extend the city's reach. Hefei Xinqiao airport handles domestic routes and a small number of international connections.

From Hefei, southern Anhui opens up: Huangshan (Yellow Mountain, UNESCO World Heritage) is reachable in under two hours by high-speed rail to Huangshan North station. The Hongcun and Xidi ancient villages, also UNESCO, are further south by bus from Huangshan city. The Jiuhua Mountains, one of China's four sacred Buddhist mountains, are a few hours by road.

Hefei's food scene follows Anhui cuisine, which is less celebrated than Sichuan or Cantonese but has its own character: braised pork belly with bamboo shoots, stinky mandarin fish (chou guiyu, the Anhui speciality that is either appreciated or strongly declined), and various wild herb preparations. The city has a full range of restaurants across all price points, concentrated in the Baohe and Yaohai districts.