Some travel to China to marvel at the skylines of cranes, innovative architectural projects and the country’s artistic endeavours. They should head to the financial and commercial hub of Shanghai, as well as to Beijing’s Olympic Village and the capital’s contemporary art district. Others will be keen to learn more about China’s 5,000-year-old civilisation. That is best viewed through the country’s museums and monuments, from the first emperor’s Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an to Beijing’s

Forbidden City, which served as the imperial palace from the Ming dynasty until the end of the Qing dynasty. However, be aware that these must-see attractions, including Beijing’s Summer Palace and the sections of the Great Wall closest to the capital (notably Badaling), are often the most crowded. For the adventurous, there are less well-known – and less crowded – sites, such as the Buddhist caves at Dunhuang, the charming former capitals of Luoyang and Kaifeng, and the great Taklamakan Desert in the far north-west.

Some of China’s exceptional but less frequented museums include Shaanxi History Museum, Xi’an Museum and the Museum of Han Yangling (all three are in or close to Xi’an), as well as Zhejiang Provincial Museum. Another great option is to incorporate travel by train rather than take internal flights in order to mix with locals, catch up on a travel journal and gaze out of the window. It is experiences like these which may make for the most enduring memories of all.