Zunyi & Meitan

The city of the Long March's turning point, home to the Zunyi Conference site and Loushan Pass, the World Heritage-listed Hailongtun chieftain fortress, and Meitan's vast tea plantations.

Zunyi lies in northern Guizhou, backed by the Dalou Mountains to the north and bordered by the Wu River to the south, and is a National Famous Historical and Cultural City. In January 1935 the Communist Party Central Committee held the Zunyi Conference here, the turning point of the Long March, which makes Zunyi one of China's most important destinations for revolutionary heritage tourism. The Yang chieftains of Bozhou ruled the area for more than 700 years, leaving behind the World Heritage site of Hailongtun. The tea gardens of Meitan and Fenggang and the sauce-aroma baijiu of the Chishui River valley have also earned Zunyi a reputation as a “home of tea and liquor” (Chishui and Maotai Town are covered as separate destinations).

Areas to explore: ① The old town — the Zunyi Conference site, memorial hall, Red Army Street, Red Army Hill Martyrs' Cemetery and Xiangshan Temple cluster along both banks of the Xiang River and can be covered on foot in a day. ② The outskirts — Hailongtun, Loushan Pass, the Tomb of Yang Can and the city museum. ③ Fengxiang Town to the west — the Gouba Conference site and Huamao Village. ④ Meitan to the east — the China Tea Sea, the World's Largest Teapot and the Zhejiang University Westward Migration Exhibition Hall. ⑤ Shuanghe Cave in Suiyang to the north and Wujiang Village to the south.

The best seasons are Mar–May and Sep–Nov; summers are fairly cool, while winters are damp and chilly. Getting there: the Chongqing–Guiyang high-speed railway passes through Zunyi, about 1 hour from Chongqing or Guiyang; Zunyi Xinzhou Airport and Maotai Airport have flights. Taxis are easy to find in the city, but for sights on the outskirts a self-drive or chartered car is recommended. Plan 2–3 days. Food to try: mutton rice noodles, tofu-pudding noodles and steamed egg cake.

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