Yuanjue Pagoda Shaanxi

Looming over the old town and dating to the Tang dynasty, but rebuilt in 1958, this pagoda also acts as a memorial to Red Army soldiers killed fighting the Kuomintang. It’s sadly impossible to climb the pagoda itself, but the steep ascent to it offers panoramic views over the old town nonetheless. To get here, make a sharp right turn when leaving the City God Temple and take the first major right you come to. The walk takes you through the most evocative part of the old town; exit the pagoda through the park on the other side and you’re back in the new town.