the following comments refer to actual experience or that of close friends:
Shanghai--so modern/futuristic you'll expect to see flying cars at any moment (almost a direct quote from a friend)
Guangzhou--bone up on your cantonese. this is the new name for canton. gotta be access to tons of training...
Xian--home of the terra cotta warriors. super touristy.
Chengdu--good little city. access to mcdonalds/pizza hut/kfc/shopping/etc. close enough to my old hometown (dujiangyan) that you could go find my old teacher. bus takes about an hour (15 yuan) so you wouldnt go everyday. there's a wushu middle school somewhere nearby.
Kunming--i'm told its beautiful. i've been there twice but wasn't interested in touring about. known for its stone forest.
oops, i accidentally deleted a few cities. changchun is north east and cold. and yeah, industrially.
Zhenzhou--isn't this the obvious choice? super close to shaolin.
Qingdao--believe its a port city. used to be a german colony. home of the famous qingdao beer.
i have friends who have been to the other places, but it wouldn't have been recent enough to give an accurate representation (china changes completely about every five years).
wang si zhong