Anshun

Huangguoshu, Asia's largest waterfall, and the Dragon Palace caves, plus Tianlong Tunpu's Ming-dynasty heritage: the greatest concentration of Guizhou's karst landscapes.

Anshun lies in central-western Guizhou Province, about 90 km west of Guiyang. It is the core of the central Guizhou karst plateau at about 1,400 m above sea level, famous for Huangguoshu Waterfall, the Dragon Palace caves and Ming-dynasty tunpu culture, and is known as "China's Waterfall Town." The climate is subtropical highland monsoon, and summer temperatures average around 22°C, making it a well-known summer retreat nationwide. June to October is the high-water season, when Huangguoshu Waterfall has its greatest volume and is most spectacular (especially after heavy rain in July–Aug), and also the peak tourist season; November to April is the low-water season, when the waterfall is smaller but there are fewer visitors and the weather is dry, with occasional cold, gloomy days in winter. There are three main sightseeing areas. First, the Huangguoshu Scenic Area (in Zhenning County, about 45 km from downtown Anshun), made up of three parts, the Great Waterfall, Tianxingqiao and Doupotang, and usually taking a whole day. Second, the Dragon Palace (about 27 km from downtown) and Tianlong Tunpu (in Pingba District, about 30 km from downtown, between Anshun and Guiyang), each of which takes about half a day. Third, farther-flung sights such as Ziyun's Getuhe (rock climbing and Swallow Cave, about 80 km), the Guanling fossil group and Jiuzhou Ancient Town. Getting there: Anshun Huangguoshu Airport has limited flights, so most people start from Guiyang: the high-speed train from Guiyang North Station to Anshun West Station takes about 30–40 minutes, and Anshun West Station has tourist buses to Huangguoshu and the Dragon Palace; there is also a direct tourist coach from Guiyang North Station to Huangguoshu (about 2 hours); driving from Guiyang on the Shanghai–Kunming Expressway takes about 1.5 hours. Public transport between sights is inconvenient, so we recommend a self-drive, a chartered car or a day tour from Guiyang. We suggest 2 days: 1 day at Huangguoshu (you can stay in Huangguoshu Town near the scenic area) and 1 day for the Dragon Palace and Tianlong Tunpu; if you are doing a day trip from Guiyang, see only Huangguoshu. Notes: Huangguoshu tickets must be reserved in advance with real-name registration on the official Huangguoshu Tourist Area mini-program, and the three parts of the scenic area are linked by a shuttle bus (about CNY 50); the Water Curtain Cave and Doupotang are misty in the high-water season, so wear non-slip shoes and bring a rain poncho; tunpu dixi opera performances have fixed showtimes; Anshun foods include duoduo rice noodles, guojuan (wrapped rolls), tunpu dishes, Zhenning bobo sugar and Guanling beef.

Top sights

• Huangguoshu Waterfall – Asia's largest waterfall, 77.8 meters high and 101 meters wide. You can walk through the Water Curtain Cave behind the falls, see rainbows…
• Tianxing Bridge Scenic Area – The 'stone forest on water' of the Huangguoshu area. You walk along stepping stones through stone forests, streams and banyan trees, and th…
• Dragon Palace Cave (Longgong) – China's longest and most beautiful water-eroded cave, where you travel by boat along an underground river lit by colored lights. Outside th…
• Doupotang Waterfall – The widest tufa-terrace waterfall in the Huangguoshu waterfall group, 105 meters wide and 21 meters high, and the filming location where th…
• Tianlong Tunpu – A stone-built ancient village settled by the descendants of Ming-dynasty garrison soldiers, where the Jianghuai dialect, Fengyang Han-style…
• Anshun Confucian Temple – Founded in the Hongwu era of the Ming dynasty, this is the “First Confucian Temple of Central Guizhou.” Its openwork coiled-dragon stone pi…
• Getu River Scenic Area – A karst canyon and underground river scenic area in Ziyun County, famous for the 116-meter-high Great Through Cave (Swallow Cave) and the M…
• Jiuzhou Ancient Town – A major Tunpu garrison town from the Ming dynasty, with bluestone old streets, the Xingjiang River and courtyard houses. Its local spicy ch…
• Dishuitan Waterfall – A multi-tiered waterfall in the Bali River Gorge of Guanling County with a total drop of about 410 meters, said to be the highest-drop wate…
• Shitouzhai Buyi Village – A centuries-old Buyi village near Huangguoshu, with houses built entirely of stone blocks. It is famous for its wax-resist dyeing craft and…
• Yunshantun Tunpu Village – A Ming-era Tunpu village tucked into a mountain hollow, with its gate, city walls and stone-paved old street intact. It is an authentic exa…
• Baling River Bridge – A suspension bridge over one kilometer long spanning the Bali River Gorge, with its deck about 370 meters above the valley floor. Visitors…
• Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge – The world’s highest bridge, opened in 2025, with its deck about 625 meters above the Beipan River. The canyon views and roadside observatio…
• Gaodang Buyi Village – A centuries-old Buyi village in Zhenning with stone houses, an ancient military camp and old lanes preserved intact. In recent years it has…
• Anshun Old Town Historic District – The historic old town at the heart of Anshun, linking the Wu Temple, the Gu Mansion, Confucian Forest Road and the old city walls. Night to…
• Pingba Farm Cherry Blossom Garden – A vast cherry garden of about 10,000 mu, located in Pingba Farm upstream of Hongfeng Lake. In spring, pink blossoms cover the rolling hills…
• Tiantaishan Wulong Temple – A Ming-era temple on the summit of a solitary peak beside Tianlong Tunpu, with stone temple walls merging into the mountain. It is a repres…
• Former Residence of Wang Ruofei – A Qing-dynasty residence in the old town of Anshun, the birthplace of Wang Ruofei, an early leader of the Chinese Communist Party. It is a…
• Anshun Wu Temple – A Guandi temple first built in the Ming dynasty, with well-preserved stone carvings and timber structures. It is a National Key Cultural Re…
• Hongshan Lake Park – A lake park in urban Anshun, with a lakeside walking trail, an island in the lake and city night views. It is the local favorite for evenin…
• Xixiu Mountain White Pagoda – A Yuan-dynasty white pagoda on a small hill at the southern edge of Anshun’s old town. It gives its name to “Xixiu” and is one of the city’…
• Donglin Temple – An ancient temple in the old town of Anshun, first built during the Yongle era of the Ming dynasty. It is a renowned Chan monastery in cent…
• Baojiatun – A Tunpu village with 600 years of history, where the Ming-era Yuzui water diversion system still irrigates farmland today.
• Benzhai Tunpu Village – The best-preserved Tunpu village among the Yunfeng Eight Villages, with seven stone watchtowers closely clustered among Ming and Qing Tunpu…
• Zhongdong Cave Village – A Miao village inside a huge cave on a mountainside near Getu River, known as “China’s last cave-dwelling tribe.”

Where to eat

• Pimin Xiaoguo Liangfen – A popular, long-standing shop on Taihe Street in Anshun's old town, known for xiaoguo liangfen cooked in clay pots with…
• Zhenfeng Anjia Glutinous Rice (Shixi Road Branch) – A breakfast shop popular with Anshun locals, serving Zhenfeng glutinous rice with plenty of toppings, plus goose noodle…

Itineraries

• Classic Guizhou Loop: Waterfalls, Miao Villages & Ancient Towns – A classic first-time loop starting from Guiyang, connecting Huangguoshu, Xiaoqikong, Xijiang, and Zhenyuan via high-spe…
• Southwest Guizhou Self-Drive Loop: Peaks & Canyons – A self-drive loop from Guiyang via Huangguoshu and the 24-Zig Road to the peak forests of Xingyi, returning via the Hua…
• Grand Guizhou Self-Drive Loop – A comprehensive self-drive loop starting and ending in Guiyang, covering all nine prefectures and cities, including wat…