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Visiting the less-frequented provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi and Zhejiang, and city Tianjin reveals hidden gemsPassing through China's Gansu province on a recent whirlwind tour, I was invited by the local people to a night party.自存倉We sat on the sand, around a bonfire, and tore at pieces of boiled mutton and bread with our bare hands.There were songs, dances and endless toasting of strong white liquor (bai jiu). Excited children ran by, accidentally kicking sand into our faces.After the party ended, we made our way through sunflower fields in pitch darkness to reach our tour bus.While us city folk took out our smartphones to illuminate the dirt path, thousands of villagers - eyes accustomed to the starlight and familiar terrain - overtook us as if it were daylight."China is not just Beijing and Shanghai," China Daily newspaper's deputy editor-in-chief Wang Hao had previously proclaimed.That statement would ring in my head throughout our 15-day trip in China, organised by the English-language China Daily for myself and 12 other photographers based in Asia.The 15-day tour covered three provinces selected by a Chinese state information office to be featured - Gansu and Shaanxi in the country's heartland, and Zhejiang on the eastern coast - as well as the metropolis of Tianjin, next to Beijing.Spanning the hot summer months of July and August, the tour took us to parts of China where few tourists venture (one exception: the famous Terracotta Army Museum in Shaanxi).Our departure point was Lanzhou, the largest city of Gansu province in north-west China.On a six-hour bus ride out of Lanzhou to Minqin county, I saw the landscape change from dry sandy plains dotted with factories to green pastures, sunflower and corn fields.Minqin county is a dry and flat area, surrounded by the Badain Jaran Desert and Tengger Desert in the north, east and west. The county turned out to be the most isolated and under-developed place we visited during the trip.But it was also where I met farmers working in the sunflower fields.Minqin means "hardworking people" in Chinese - no more appropriate name for a place once threatened by sandstorms and encroaching deserts, which has survived by the sheer will and labour of its 274,000-strong population.For its "anti-desertification" efforts, water is pumped from Hongyashan reservoir to irrigate the county's farmland.Surrounded by concrete banks, the vast body of water shimmered under the blaze of the desert sun.Created in 1958, it is the biggest desert reservoir in Asia, with a capacity of 99 million cu m. Currently a third full, it is a vital lifeline for the people of Minqin.Our next stop was Xian in Shaanxi province, just an hour-long domestic flight away. The capital city of Shaanxi, Xian offers a mix of old and new.For 5,000 years, 13 dynasties, including the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang, established their seat of political power in Shaanxi, and 73 emperors governed the country from there.After jostling at the famed Terracotta Army Museum (Qinling Town, Lingtong District, .bmy.com.cn, admission: 150 yuan or S$31 during the peak season of March to November and 120 yuan during the non-peak season of December to February) to get a good spot from which to photograph some of the 8,000 terracotta sculptures in the likeness of Qin Shi Huang's army, my travelling companions and I moved on to the relatively new Guanzhong Folk Art Museum.The museum, not commonly known even among locals, is a privately owned one that houses 40 ancient residences between 700 and 1,000 years old that belonged to nobles, officials and military officers (No. 1 Nanwutaishan Road, Wutaigu Town, Chang'an District, .gzmsysbwy.com, 120 yuan for adults, free for children below 1.2m in height).Currently, only nine of the residences have been fully restored and open for viewing.Even then, it will take at least two hours to visit all nine with an English-speaking guide.The quiet museum grounds, with few visitors, will take you back in time as you stroll into each of the ancient迷你倉residences, allowing you to experience life as a nobleman more than 700 years ago.Our last activity in Xian was also the most physically demanding: scaling Mount Hua.Located 120km east of Xian, Mount Hua is one of China's five great mountains - where hermits retreat for solitude and fictional martial arts heroes shut themselves up to hone their skills.At its highest peak, it is 2,155m. We were given 11/2-hours to reach the top, after taking a cable car through heavy fog to 1,615m, at the North Peak.The climb was punishing due to the small and steep steps with metal chains running alongside for support, and was made more difficult with the crowd of eager climbers. At some points, it was so steep that climbers had to go on all fours.As we approached 2,000m, we saw a group of elderly men in their 60s carrying metal bars that weigh up to 75kg up the mountain.We learnt that they earn a meagre 40 yuan for every trip as porters to bring construction materials to the mountain top, which is accessible only on foot.At the summit, with muscles cramping and drenched in perspiration, I saw an old woman and children who seem unfazed by the climb.Ego a little bruised, our group took a two-hour flight from Xian to Tianjin.In summer, Tianjin's residents come out to play. They swim in the Hai River (Haihe, or literally "sea river" in Mandarin), alongside tourist cruise boats. Or they congregate in the thousands at Yinhe Square, to dance, roller-blade and chat.After northern Tianjin's carefree city sophistication, Zhejiang - further south, along the East China Sea coast and a domestic flight of about 1 hour and 50 minutes away - and its scenic rustic charm made even more of an impression.The rural areas of Quzhou and Lishui prefectures, which are both about four hours' drive from Hangzhou, do not attract many tourists - for now.The Nian Ba Du ancient village in Jiangshan county, Quzhou prefecture, has a 1,100-year history, and a population of about 10,000. Many of its ancient buildings date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties.Old folks play cards or chat with their neighbours through the open doors of their heritage-laden homes. Others play cards and chess, smoke or have their hair cut on the main streets.After more than two weeks, even with a hard disk full of digital images and well-worn shoes, it seemed like I had only unravelled a tiny part of this vast land.More than the stereotypical emerging economic dragon, or land of billionaire entrepreneurs and materialistic hordes, China is a colourful patchwork of provinces, cities and countless villages full of character.seahkp@sph.com.sgThe writer's trip was sponsored by China Daily newspaper for Asia News Network photojournalists.Off the beaten path in ZhejiangYantou village and Jiangbin ancient streetLocated in the province's south-west in Liandu District, Guyan town is a key cultural relic with ancient weir water conservation projects. The town itself has a history of more than 15,000 years.Within it, Yantou village has many traditional courtyard houses built during the Qing dynasty.Visitors pay an entrance fee of 40 yuan (S$8) to enter the village, and another 10 yuan for a 15-minute boat ride along the Ou River (Ou Jiang).This will take you to Jiangbin ancient street, which is a 550m-long waterfront street built at the end of the Qing dynasty. It is the busiest ancient commerce street in Dagangtou ancient town, and has many private art galleries and museums.Yunhe terrace & Kenggen Stone VillageCatch the sunrise at Yunhe terrace, which is about 40 minutes by car from Lishui City, in the south-west of Zhejiang province.The Yunhe terrace has a history of more than 1,000 years and is also the largest rice terrace in the eastern region of China.Set off at 4am and you will be rewarded with a postcard view of rice terraces shrouded by mist against an orange sky at dawn.Once the sun is up, visit the Kenggen Stone village with a population of about 300, which is 15 minutes away from the viewing platform at Yunhe terrace.mini storage