How far into China did Ibn Battuta claim to travel?

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Engraving of Ibn Battuta in Egypt, standing on a decorated stone block with another man, overlooking ancient Egyptian columns and palm trees in the background. — Ibn Battuta Ibn Baṭṭūṭah (right) with an Egyptian man in Egypt.

Ibn Battuta claimed to have traveled as far into China as Beijing after landing at the port of Zaytūn, which is identified as modern-day Quanzhou.1

While his Riḥlah describes traveling along inland waterways to reach the capital and returning, it is important to note that historians have identified discrepancies in his itinerary and chronology regarding this journey. These inconsistencies have led to scholarly debate and cast doubt on the veracity of his account of the Chinese interior.1