Skip: El Nido

See: The city underneath Qiandao Lake

When state scientists were looking for a Chinese island to farm high-end caviar in China, they looked for the purest, cleanest water they could find. That turned out to be Qiandao Lake, an expansive body of water in the lush hills outside of Hangzhou.

Qiandao, which means ‘1,000 islands’, was created in 1959 when the area was flooded for the construction of a hydroelectric power station. The nearly 600-square-kilometre area’s once hilly peaks have now become more than 1,000 islets, and sightseeing boats ferry visitors between the most picturesque. One of the highlights is Meifeng Island, where you can hike up to a viewing platform – Qiandao Lake’s highest point – for a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

But Qiandao Lake also has a secret hidden underneath its surface: an ancient city named Shi Cheng, or ‘Lion City’. Built during the Eastern Han dynasty, it was submerged in 1959 – and rediscovered by divers in 2001. These ruins are not only sprawling, but also impressively intact. Though options are limited, you can find guided diving tours of Lion City that depart from Shanghai and Beijing.

Know Before You Go: Restaurants around Qiandao Lake are famed for their bighead carp. Order the hongshao yutou, or carp head braised with soy sauce, spring onion, ginger, pepper and Shaoxing wine.