The Yellow River basin boasts magnificent landscapes and cultural relics, not least the Maijishan Grottoes (top) in Tianshui, Gansu province. (Photos: China Daily)

The Jiuzhaigou National Park in Sichuan province provides tourists with a spectacular backdrop.

Traditional Pingyao, Shanxi province

Stone statues in the Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu, Shandong province.