Xi'an

Great Chinese dynasties have come and gone from Xi'an over the millennia, forging a city that's layered with history and heritage like few others in the People's Republic. In fact, this vast metropolis on the Guanzhong Plain is the oldest of the so-called Ancient Capitals, telling a tale that goes deeper into antiquity than Nanjing, Luoyang and Beijing alike – over 3,000 years in all.

The centre, now a fusion of glimmering high-rises, bustling streets and leafy parks where temples rise overhead, is encased in a series of 12-meter-high walls that run for a whopping 8 miles in all. That makes them the longest of their kind on the planet, and Xi'an tour guides can reveal Ming-era gatehouses as you cycle or stroll the bulwarks. Throw in the enthralling Neolithic relics of the Shaanxi Museum and the mysterious Taoist shrines of the Temple of the Eight Immortals and it's easy to see the sheer overload of history that's on offer here.

Remnants of long-gone eras litter the city at every turn. But then comes the piece de resistance of the lot: The Army of Terracotta Warriors and Horses at the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. It's a UNESCO site and one of the wonders of China. Dating back to 210 BC, it includes thousands of clay soldiers, chariots and weapons that went with the great conqueror Qin Shi Huang into the afterlife.