Yúcì Ancient City Shanxi

A favourite location for Chinese film producers, there are more than 400 rooms and halls to explore in the preserved section of this Ming town. You can walk the streets and some of the gardens for free, but you'll need a ticket to enter the temples or the numerous former government offices. The oldest building is the impressive God Temple (隍庙, Huáng Miào), built in 1362. Take bus 901 (¥4, 80 minutes, first/last bus 6am/8pm) from near Taiyuan train station.