Cut off from the rest of Asia by the Russian steppes to the north and the Himalayas to the south, China has spent literally thousands of years refining and innovating its ancient cultures. Today’s rush for modernity may seem to replicate the style of the west, but it is being conducted in a manner that is unmistakably Chinese – all of which makes travelling in this vast country a uniquely compelling experience.

Undiminished by the economic revolution taking place around them, China’s Big Five sights – the Great Wall, Forbidden City in Beijing, Terracotta Army, Yangtze Gorges and limestone mountains around Guilin and Yangshuo – all retain their timeless allure. For the most vivid taste of old China, however, we recommend visiting smaller, less frequented destinations between the headline locations or, time permitting, venturing to the country’s far southern and western provinces, whose rural heartlands preserve architecture and ways of life little altered since the Ming and Qing eras.

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