Gansu Province

Small Tibetan town centered on a lively monastery, prayer-flaged lanes and yak-butter tea stalls — rich in Himalayan culture and photography spots.

Silk Road oasis town with mudbrick watchtowers, caravanserai remains and desert sunsets — atmospheric history and desert excursions.

Wind-sculpted loess forts, traditional folk markets and dramatic northwest light — great for history and landscape photography.

Lakeside Tibetan market town with prayer flags, yak butter tea and easy treks — ideal for culture, monastery visits and alpine lakeside hikes.

Museum inside a living madrasa documenting Hui and Sufi practices from the Yuan to Qing eras — rare insight into Islamic religious life in inland China.

Riverside archaeology museum with Western Zhou finds, emphasizing ancient inland trade routes and early urbanism. Good for curious historians.