Baili Rhododendron & Zhijin Cave

Home to Baili Rhododendron, the world's largest natural rhododendron belt, and Zhijin Cave, the "King of Caves," plus the Wujiang Source Hundred-Mile Gallery and the Yi Shuixi culture of Dafang; a cool, flower-filled retreat in northwest Guizhou.

This destination covers the eastern part of Bijie, including Dafang County, Qianxi City, Zhijin County and the Baili Rhododendron Management Area. It lies in northwest Guizhou at the eastern foot of the Wumeng Mountains, at an average elevation of 1,200–1,700 m, with cool summers (a July average of about 21°C), and is a popular summer-escape and flower-viewing area near Guiyang. The main sights fall into three areas: in the north, Baili Rhododendron is the world's largest natural rhododendron belt, with blossoms covering the hills from late March to the end of April; in the south, Zhijin County has Zhijin Cave, the "King of Caves," Zhijin Grand Canyon and Zhigaaru Lake, and the county seat's Zhijin Ancient Town is famous for its snacks; in the east, Qianxi has the Wujiang Source Hundred-Mile Gallery and Huawu Miao Village; and Dafang County town brings together Yi Shuixi cultural sights such as Muoge Ancient City and the Tomb of Lady Shexiang, with the Liuchong River underground-river caves of Jiudongtian to the west. Getting there: driving from Guiyang Longdongbao Airport or Guiyang North Station to Baili Rhododendron or Zhijin Cave takes about 2 hours either way; the Chengdu–Guiyang high-speed railway has stations at Qianxi, Dafang and elsewhere; Bijie Feixiong Airport also has several routes. The sights are spread out, so we recommend driving or hiring a car; to see everything takes 3–4 days, while Baili Rhododendron and Zhijin Cave alone can be done in 2 days. Recommended foods are Zhijin dried tofu, Dafang hand-torn tofu, Qianxi yellow glutinous cakes and buckwheat rice. Notes: day-night temperature differences are large, so bring a jacket even in summer; Baili Rhododendron is prone to traffic jams on weekends during the blooming season, so travel on weekdays or stay inside the scenic area in advance; mountain roads are winding and often foggy, and may be closed by ice in winter. Weining's Caohai Lake and Da Jiucaiping belong to the neighboring "Weining & Caohai" destination and can be arranged separately.

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