Pingtang

Home of FAST, the “China Sky Eye” and the world's largest single-dish radio telescope, plus Kedu Astronomy Town, the Pingtang Bridge and the Zhangbu “Character-Hiding Stone.”

Pingtang County lies in the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of southern Guizhou, set among karst peak clusters and depressions, and is home to Buyei, Miao, Maonan and other ethnic minorities. It is best known for the “China Sky Eye” (FAST, the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope) in the Dawodang depression of Kedu Town. Together with the Pingtang Bridge north of the county seat and the “Character-Hiding Stone” at Zhangbu, it forms Pingtang's “three heavenly sights” (the Sky Eye, the Sky Bridge and the Heavenly Script). There are three areas to explore: first, the Kedu Sky Eye scenic area, where the astronomy town has an astronomy experience center and the Nan Rendong Memorial Hall, and shuttle buses run up to the viewing platform; second, the Pingtang Bridge and Yazhou pottery around the county seat; third, karst scenery in Pingtang National Geopark, such as Zhangbu, Jiacha and Liudong Canyon. The best seasons are Mar–May and Sep–Nov; in summer you can also splash in the streams at Jiacha, but rainy-season weather can affect mountain roads. Getting there: it's about 3 hours by expressway from Guiyang to Kedu, or take the Guiyang–Nanning high-speed railway to a nearby station and transfer; the sights are spread out, so self-driving is recommended. Plan 2 days: on day one, stay in the astronomy town, visit the exhibition halls and stargaze at night; on day two, go up to the viewing platform, then visit the Pingtang Bridge and Zhangbu or Jiacha. Important rules: the area around the Sky Eye is a radio quiet zone, and phones, cameras, watches and other electronic devices are strictly prohibited on the viewing platform — they must be checked at the visitor center. Visitor numbers are capped in peak season, so book ahead.

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