I came to China expecting skyscrapers, but found a world of hidden wonders

My jaw drops as a queue of women with bowls of rice wine serenade a Kiwi tourist at our long table, before linking arms and pouring a stream of the fermented drink directly into his mouth.

We're in Chiyou Jiuli City, in the mountainous west of China, and a generous evening of hospitality is unfolding. For the Miao (pronounced meow) people, one of the largest ethnic minority groups in China, this is the traditional way to toast visitors at a banquet dinner. The sweet drink is poured freely until he gestures, with both hands, that he has had enough.

"I thought it would be rude to stop," he says, wiping his chin. The rest of the table eagerly awaits their turn but I've already been sipping on rice wine so I respectfully pass to avoid any regrets the next morning. We have a busy time ahead of us.

There is not a single moment or memory that can describe what it's like to visit China for the first time. It is a land of multitudes. We're spending a week in the futuristic "war capital" of Chongqing - a three-hour flight from Shanghai - to explore not just the mega-city itself, but the counties around it that together make up the world's most populous municipality.

In Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, we sit down to a memorable lunch. A smoky side dish of mountain-grown cabbage accompanies a generous spread of tofu, chicken and lamb preparations, with soup, fresh tomatoes, sauteed long beans and a room-temperature Coca Cola to wash it down. (I learn it's fairly common for drinks in China to be drunk warm, even beer.)

After lunch, we are served rice wine in bowls and then told to smash them on the ground to drive away bad luck. We are then invited to join young Miao, who are dressed in colourful embroidered skirts or pants, the women with embellished silver headdresses, in a traditional dance around a ceremonial fire. The previous day, in Shuangjiang Ancient Town in the Tongan District, we had also been welcomed with a group dance - the people here wearing green pants and saffron tops - followed by a re-enactment of a street scene where a blushing bride is taken to her wedding in a decorated palanquin.

Travelling south to the Dazu District, bordering Sichuan Province, we visit the UNESCO-listed site of Baoding Mountain to see tens of thousands of rock carvings dating to the 9th century. The carvings convey Buddhist, Confucian and Taoist teachings through stories of life, death and enlightenment. Some of the sculptures are so tall and curved that the physics of how they remain standing is a mystery.

It rains as we enter a temple to see the thousand-handed golden Bodhisattva, carved in the 13th century, but even in wet weather, the Baoding carvings are worth dedicating at least a couple of hours to.

The next day, we take a high-speed train deeper into the mountains. Wulong's Three Natural Bridges, about 140 kilometres from Chongqing, is another UNESCO-listed site, home to deep gorges enveloped by greenery and karst landscapes formed millions of years ago.

The scenery is otherworldly, with hidden speakers playing birdsong adding to the atmosphere. The dramatic cliff-side views remind me of a scene in Avatar, where the alien couple takes a flight through the mountains, but I'm told it's actually Transformers: Age of Extinction that was filmed here.

Since English is rarely spoken in regional areas, our flag-wielding tour manager and an earpiece handed out at each tourist site serve together as narrator and guide.

On the three-kilometre path along the gorge, the voice in my ear informs me that if I look up at the arch bridges, the gargantuan gaps may reveal a fish leaping out of water, or a dragon soaring through the sky.

There's an extraordinary post office situated in these misty mountains where you can buy a postcard and record a note about your visit to send to someone somewhere else in the world. It's a short walk to a clear spring and the tourist centre where I buy a silky pouch of freshly ground herbs and spices, said to cure poor sleep and banish bad dreams when kept under the pillow.

The following day, I find myself out of breath in Zhong County. The mountains here act as a natural fortress and were home to the prominent female military general Qin Liangyu in the 16th century, who commanded an elite force known as the White Cavalry.

Filled with warmth, I continue to the mountain's highest lookout. Without a person in sight, I scale big stone steps covered in autumn leaves, accompanied by the tranquil sound of a flute, which I assume is coming from my earpiece. However, I seem to be closing in on the music. Could it be coming through a speaker? But to my surprise, at the summit, where there is a three-metre-high watch tower and a breathtaking view, I am greeted by a flautist lost in his melody. He then bends down to a cassette player and selects what I assume will be a background track.

It is, in fact, a Chinese rap song and as the flautist bops from side to side, waving his hands, my jaw drops again.

The writer was a guest of Wendy Wu Tours