Guizhou

An old saying about Guizhou claims that there are never three days without rain and never three square yards of flat land. That is exactly what makes it so appealing: a vacation in Guizhou takes you through green karst mountains, to thundering waterfalls, and into Miao and Dong villages where traditions are especially alive.

Sights in Guizhou

Huangguoshu Waterfall, west of Guiyang, plunges about 230 feet, and a path leads behind the curtain of water into the Water Curtain Cave. In the south of the province near Libo lies the Xiaoqikong area, where emerald-green pools and waterfalls form part of the UNESCO World Heritage site South China Karst. Fanjing Mountain in the northeast, a sacred mountain with a temple built on a rock spire, is also a World Heritage site. In the southeast, in Qiandongnan Prefecture, you'll find Xijiang, China's largest Miao village with wooden houses on steep slopes, and Zhaoxing, a Dong village with five drum towers. Near Pingtang, FAST, the world's largest radio telescope with a diameter of 500 meters (1,640 feet), sits in a karst depression. Among the most impressive caves is Zhijin Cave, with huge halls of dripstone formations. In Xijiang, an overnight stay is worthwhile to see the sea of lights from the wooden houses in the evening.

Guiyang and Culture

Guiyang, the capital, sits at about 3,600 feet and enjoys pleasantly cool summers thanks to its elevation. Jiaxiu Pavilion on the Nanming River and the Qianling mountain range with its monkeys and temples are in the middle of the city. The old garrison town of Qingyan on the outskirts preserves its stone walls and archways. Roughly a third of the population belongs to minority groups; the Miao are famous for their silver jewelry and embroidery, the Dong for their polyphonic singing. Kaili is the starting point for Miao markets and festivals, such as the Lusheng Festival with its bamboo mouth organs.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

Guizhou cuisine is sour and spicy: fish soup in a sour broth, stir-fried chili chicken with ciba chilies, and siwawa, small pancakes with vegetables that you wrap yourself. Maotai in the north is the home of China's most famous sorghum liquor, served at state banquets. Thanks to new high-speed rail lines, Guiyang is quickly reachable from Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Kunming. The best times to visit are spring and fall; in summer the waterfalls carry the most water.