Guiyang

"Cool Guiyang," China's summer retreat capital, with sour fish soup and changwang noodles, Qingyan Ancient Town and Jiaxiu Tower, and the gateway to southeast Guizhou and Huangguoshu.

Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou Province. It sits in a mountain basin about 1,100 m above sea level on the eastern side of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, with the Nanming River running through the city. Because summer temperatures average around 23°C, it is known as "Cool Guiyang" and China's "summer retreat capital," and it is also the gateway to Huangguoshu, Libo, southeast Guizhou and Fanjingshan. The climate is subtropical highland monsoon. June to September is peak season for escaping the heat, with daytime highs of 25–28°C and nights that call for a light jacket, though showers are frequent; April–May and October–Nov are mild with few visitors; December–Feb is gloomy, cold and damp, with occasional freezing rain that makes travel inconvenient. There are three main sightseeing areas. First, the city center: Jiaxiu Tower and the Nanming River at night, Qianling Mountain Park (to see macaques and Hongfu Temple), the Guizhou Provincial Museum, and the snack streets and night markets on Erqi Road and Shaanxi Road, about 1 day. Second, Huaxi District in the southern suburbs: Qingyan Ancient Town (a Ming-dynasty military town where you can eat zhuangyuan pork knuckle and gaoba rice porridge), Huaxi Park and the Shilihetan wetland, and Tianhetan, about 1 day. Third, trips from Guiyang as a base: Huangguoshu in Anshun (about 1.5 hours by car), Xijiang Miao Village in southeast Guizhou (about 1 hour by high-speed train to Kaili), and Xiaoqikong in Libo (about 1 hour by high-speed train to Libo Station). Getting there: Guiyang Longdongbao Airport is about 12 km from downtown, with a direct link on Metro Line 2. Guiyang North Station and Guiyang East Station are high-speed rail hubs, about 2 hours to Chongqing, 3 hours to Chengdu and 4 hours to Guangzhou. The city has 3 metro lines; for Qingyan Ancient Town, take Metro Line 3 to Huaxi and transfer to a bus; for Huangguoshu there is a tourist coach from Guiyang North Station and a high-speed rail option (change at Anshun West Station). We suggest 2–3 days: 1 day in the city, 1 day at Huaxi and Qingyan, and then onward to surrounding sights. Notes: Guiyang is hilly and walking can be tiring, so make good use of the metro and ride-hailing; carry rain gear in summer; sour fish soup, changwang noodles, si wawa (vegetable wraps), lianai tofu, grilled pig brain and Qingyan pork knuckle are must-try foods, and the Erqi Road snack street and Minsheng Road night market set up in the early evening; in the evenings there are often "roadside concerts" along the Nanming River, near Jiaxiu Tower and around Wenchang Pavilion; UV is fairly strong on the plateau, so wear sunscreen in summer.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries