XiNing 西宁, provincial capital of QingHai province – aerial view

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The caves, full of beautiful Buddhist art, are located near DaTong in ShanXi province, north east China (west from Beijing), and date from the 5th century. Buddhism came to this area via the northern Silk Road that linked Xi'An with Kashgar

A UNESCO World Heritage site. The first Buddhist temple in China was built here in SiChuan province during the 1st century A.D. in the beautiful surroundings of the Mount Emei and in view of its peak. Over the centuries, the addition of other temples turned the area into one of Buddhism's holiest. The most remarkable - the Giant Buddha at LeShan - was carved out of a hillside in the 8th century and looks down on the confluence of three rivers. At 71 meters in height, it is the largest Buddha in the world.

Step back in time in the ancient village of HongCun, 宏村. HongCun is located near the south west slope of Mount HuangShan. The architecture and carvings of the approximately 150 residences dating back from the Ming and Qing dynasties are said to be among the best in China. One of the largest residences open to visitors, ChenZhi Hall, also contains a small museum. Together with XiDi, the village is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Some scenes from the movie 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' were filmed on location in HongCun.

Near RuiLi and the border with Myanmar.

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