Lonely Planet China

by Lonely Planet

From Ānshùn, buses (¥20, one hour, 7am to 7pm) run every 30 minutes from the east bus station; buses back to Ānshùn run until 7pm. There are seven buses a day from Guìyáng to Huángguǒshù (¥55, 2½ hours, every 40 minutes from 7.40am to 12.45pm) from the long-distance bus station on Jinyang Nanlu; the last bus returns to Guìyáng at 4pm.

  YúNFēNG BāZHàI VILLAGES

  Yúnfēng Bāzhài (云峰八寨) is a scattering of traditional villages about 20km northeast of Ānshùn. Introduced by the mildly interesting Túnpǔ Culture Museum, which serves as the point of entry, the village of Yúnshān (云山), at the top of a steep set of steps leading up from the road (a 15-minute walk from the museum), is a gem. Hung with bright yellow dried corncobs and red lanterns, protected by a wall and a main gate and overlooked by the Yúnjiù Shān (Cloud Vulture Mountain), the settlement is a charming and unruffled portrait of rural Guìzhōu. At the heart of the almost deserted village stands a rickety Money God Temple (Cáishén Miào), opposite an ancient pavilion.

  If you want to spend the night, a couple of kèzhàn (inns) can put you up in basic rooms for around ¥50. Whatever you do, don’t miss the chance to walk up to Yúnjiù Temple (云鹫寺; Yúnjiù Sì) at the top of Yúnjiù Shān for some of the most extraordinary views in Guìzhōu. You can walk virtually all around the top of the temple for a sublime and unparalleled panorama of fields and peaks ranging off into the distance. In spring, flowering bright-yellow rapeseed plants (yóucàihuā) add vibrant splashes of colour.

  From Yúnshān it’s a 15-minute walk along the road to the village of Běnzhài (本寨), also at the foot of Yúnjiù Shān. With its old pinched alleyways, high walls, carved wood lintels, stone lions and ancient courtyard residences, Běnzhài is brim-full of history.

  To reach Yúnfēng Bāzhài, take a bus (¥5, 40 minutes, every 25 minutes, 7am to 6pm) from Ānshùn’s east bus station. The last bus from Yúnfēng Bāzhài to Ānshùn leaves at 6.20pm, passing through Běnzhài. Coming from Tiānlóng, hop on a bus from the main road to Qīyǎnqiáo (七眼桥; ¥5, 20 minutes) and then take a motorbike (¥10) for the 10-minute journey to the museum and the villages.

  Tiānlóng & Tiāntáishān 天龙、天 台山

  Pop 5000

  You only need around a couple of hours to explore this delightful village cut with a sparkling stream not far outside Ānshùn. Tiānlóng (天龙) is a well-preserved Túnpǔ village (屯堡), its settlements erected by Ming dynasty garrison troops posted here during the reign of Hongwu to help quell local uprisings and consolidate control. Coming from the middle and lower reaches of the Yangzi River, the soldiers brought their customs and language with them. Han descendants of these 14th-century soldiers live in Tiānlóng today. The local women are notable for their turquoise tops with embroidered hems; other local idiosyncrasies include distinct colloquialisms: the local expression for a thief is a yèmāozi (夜猫子; 'night cat').

  Admission to the village is ¥35; a through ticket is ¥50.

  Complementing its dry stonewalls and narrow alleyways, the architectural highlight of the village is the Tiānlóng Xuétáng (天龙学堂), an impressive and distinctive school building. The Sānjiào Temple (三教寺; Sānjiào Sì) is a creakingly dilapidated shrine dedicated to Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.

  A well-signed 30-minute walk will bring you to the forested mountain of Tiāntaíshān (天台山 ¥20).

  This forested mountain (1138m) has the astonishing temple of Wǔlóng Sì (伍龙寺 ) at its summit. A refreshing hike through the trees takes you to the summit, where you can explore the various rooms of the temple. In a hall at the rear sits a lithe figure of Guanyin, illuminated by a guttering candle; a further hall displays exhibits relating to local dìxì theatre. Afterwards, climb to the Dàyuètái terrace to gaze out over the glorious countryside.

  When descending from the temple keep an eye out for a small shrine along a narrow trail, where a statue of one of the 18 luóhàn (Buddhist statues) sits grumpily all alone. His skinny frame is the result of generosity in giving food to others; he also bestows good fortune on all. Further below rises a 21m-high and 500-year-old gingko tree festooned with ribbons, while other trails disappear into the trees.

  Tiāntaíshān is a 30-minute walk from Tiānlóng; follow the signs.

  A couple of kèzhàn in the village can put you up for the night for around ¥70 – a delightful option for a bucolic evening.

  Short performances of dìxì – an ancient form of local drama – are regularly held in the Yǎnwǔtáng (演武堂) throughout the day.

  Gorgeous-looking embroideries are on sale everywhere (bargain hard), while local women sit sewing small and exceptionally colourful embroidered shoes, in all sizes.

  To reach Tiānlóng, hop on a bus for Píngbà (平坝; ¥15, 40 minutes, every 30 minutes, 7.30am to 6.30pm) from Ānshùn’s east bus station; at the drop-off, change to the bus for Tiānlóng (¥4, 20 minutes).

  OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

  XīNGYì

  In the southwestern corner of the province lies the beautiful region of Xīngyì. The town itself is unremarkable, but take a taxi for 15km to the Mǎlǐng River Bridge (马岭河大桥; Mǎlǐng Hé) and you'll reach a feat of engineering running across a deep gorge where hiking paths criss-cross the river. From here you hike through the Mǎlǐng River Gorge (¥80) for 18km to Wànfēnglín (万峰林; Forest of Ten Thousand Peaks), where a magical karst mountain landscape awaits.

  At Mǎlǐng River Gorge, you can stay at Liu's Express Inn, while Wànfēnglín also has good accommodation.

  Wēiníng 威宁

  %0857 / Pop 58,500

  On the historically significant trade route between north Yúnnán and Sìchuān, the small town of Wēiníng (威宁) is now better known as the site of the wonderful Cǎohǎi Lake, which sits on its western edge and attracts birds and their human followers from across the global (the rare black-necked crane is the signature find).

  Like much of the province, Wēiníng has remarkable ethnic diversity, including a large population of Muslim Hui. Seeing the fare and fashion on offer at the town's twice-weekly market is a worthy outing, especially if you don't have time to explore the villages further east.

  1Sights

  Cǎohǎi LakeLAKE, BIRD SANCTUARY

  (草海湖; Cǎohǎi Hú; Grass Sea Lake )

  Guìzhōu’s largest highland lake and southwest China’s most significant wetland, Cǎohǎi Lake draws some 180 or so protected bird species, including black-necked cranes, black and white storks, golden and imperial eagles, white-tailed sea eagles, Eurasian cranes and white spoonbills. The prime time to see them is from November to March. Avoid the height of summer when the lake turns to mush.

  The lake has a fragile history, having been drained during both the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution in hopes of producing farmland. It didn’t work and the lake was refilled in 1980. Government tinkering with water levels in ensuing years impacted on the local environment and villagers’ livelihoods; officials have since enlisted locals to help with the lake’s protection in an effort to remedy both problems. The 20-sq-km freshwater wetland has been a national nature reserve since 1992, but many environmental problems remain, including excessive fishing by local villagers who rely on the region for their livelihoods.

  Lovely trails explore much of the lake, but the best way to get a close-up view of the birds is to cruise around the lake on a punt. Buy tickets at the ticket office at the end of the path leading to the lake, rather than from the touts lurking nearby. A popular lunch stop is at Lóngjiā (龙家), but be mindful that the local fish are being threatened.

  To get to the lake it’s a 45-minute walk southwest of central Wēiníng, or else a 10-minute taxi ride (¥6).

  4Sleeping & Eating

  For budget rooms, try the bus station area and nearby Jianshe Donglu, where you should be able to net a room for around ¥100. There are few good choices near the lake itself.

  With a large population of Hui, Muslim yángròu fěn (lamb rice noodles
) and níuròu fěn (beef rice noodles) places are all over town, especially around the bus station area. A local delicacy is dragonfly larvae, consumed fried.

  Black-Necked Crane HotelHOTEL$

  (黑颈鹤大酒店; Hēijǐng Hè Dàjiǔdiàn opposite the Power Authority, Jianshe Donglu; 建设东路电力局对面 d ¥150; aW)

  Centrally located near the bus station, rooms here are clean and sport some new furniture. The carpets are a little thin though, and the owners can be as hard to locate as the black-necked crane itself.

  Cǎohǎi Jiàrì JiǔdiànHOTEL$$

  (草海假日酒店 %0857 623 1881; Caohai Lu; 草海路 tw ¥358-388; aW)

  The lakeside location is really the saving grace of this tired hotel, though rooms are large and management tries hard to accommodate. In summer (off-season for the twitchers), expect large discounts.

  8Information

  Internet CafeINTERNET

  (per hr ¥3; h24hr)

  Internet cafe above the China Mobile shop opposite the bus station.

  Punt Ticket OfficeTICKET OFFICE

  (boat hire per 1/2/3hr ¥120/240/360; h8.30am-5.30pm)

  Buy tickets here for punts around Cǎohǎi Lake. Prices depend on the length of trip.

  8Getting There & Away

  Wēiníng train station is 6km west of the town centre, connecting it to points east in Guìzhōu and Kūnmíng in Yúnnán. Sleeper tickets are hard to secure here, though. Note that the station's official name is Cǎohǎi (草海).

  Wēiníng is a seven-hour bus ride from Guìyáng (¥132, 9am and 11am). You can also get here from Ānshùn’s east bus station. First take a bus to Shuǐchéng (水城; ¥60, 3½ hours, every 50 minutes from 8.20am to 4.40pm), then transfer to a Wēiníng-bound bus (¥35, two hours, hourly from 7.45am). Note that Shuǐchéng is also referred to as Liùpánshuǐ (六盘水).

  Leaving Wēiníng, you can backtrack to Guìyáng, or take a bus south to Xuānwēi in Yúnnán (¥65, five to six hours, eight daily, 7.30am to 4pm), where you can transfer to a bus for Kūnmíng. From Wēiníng, there is also a daily direct bus to Kūnmíng (¥130, 10 hours, 12.30pm).

  Alternatively, take a bus to Zhāotōng (¥45, three hours, three daily, 8.30am, 1.40pm and 3.30pm), from where you can hop over to Xīchāng in southern Sìchuān and connect with the Kūnmíng–Chéngdū train line.

  Taxi flag fall is ¥6. Taxis charge a flat ¥15 to go to the train station.

  Northern Guìzhōu

  Chìshuǐ 赤水

  %0852 / Pop 80,800

  The northwestern tip of the province is centred on the handsome town of Chìshuǐ (赤水), which hugs the eponymous red-running river famed for its role in the salt trade. While the town proper is easily walked in an afternoon, just outside town are deep gorges and valleys flanked by towering cliffs hewn out of red sandstone – a World Heritage–listed feature known as dānxiá – and a profusion of waterfalls, as well as luxuriant bamboo and fern forests that date to the Jurassic era. Exploring this region will keep nature lovers busy for days.

  The town sits on the east bank of the Chìshuǐ River (Chìshuǐ Hé). Cross the town’s main bridge (Chìshuǐ Dàqiáo) to the other side and you’re in Jiǔzhī (九支) in Sìchuān. The river was the site of many fabled crossings by the Red Army.

  1Sights

  It’s hard to imagine a more dramatic landscape. The locals claim the region has 4000 waterfalls, and some are spectacular – everywhere you look they’re gushing into the rivers that run red from the colour of the earth (Chìshuǐ means ‘red water’) and which cut through valleys and gorges covered in lush foliage. If that wasn’t enough, there are huge forests of bamboo and alsophila plants – giant ferns that date back 200 million years and were once the food of dinosaurs.

  To see the waterfalls at their fullest and loudest, come during the rainy season (May to October).

  Jīnshāgōu Nature ReserveNATURE RESERVE

  (金沙沟自然保护区; Jīnshāgōu Zìrán Bǎohùqū )F

  This reserve was established to protect the alsophila ferns that grow in abundance here. Today, the prehistoric plants still dwarf visitors. It's also the site of a bamboo forest, known as the Bamboo Sea.

  To get here, catch the buses heading to Jīnshāgōu village from Chìshuǐ's Lǔyoú Chēzhàn (¥12, one hour). From there, you'll have to negotiate with the locals for a motorbike or minibus ride to the park entrance, which is another 20 minutes away; expect to pay between ¥40 and ¥50 each way. Make sure to arrange a pick-up for your return, as very little transport hangs around the park.

  Bamboo SeaNATURE RESERVE

  (竹海; Zhúhǎi ¥25; h8am-5pm)

  The sea barely parts for trekkers whose slippery soles pad along wooden pathways through towering green-bamboo forest. It's a heady experience, if only for the bug life near the forest floor. Come armed with repellent and water.

  Sìdònggōu ValleyVIEWPOINT

  (四洞沟谷; Sìdònggōu Gǔ ¥30; h8am-5pm)

  This 4.5km-long valley is forested with ancient ferns and dotted with gushing cataracts. Paths follow both sides of a river; gushing minifalls lead to four ‘proper’ waterfalls. The biggest and most impressive is the last, the 60m-high White Dragon Pond Waterfall (Báilóngtán Pùbù). You can get really close to the falls here (you can even walk behind one). The circuit takes about three hours; there are also other trails leading off the main paths that intrepid hikers will enjoy.

  Sìdònggōu is the most touristy of Chìshuǐ’s sights, but still not overly crowded, even in summer. Buses run the 15km here from Chìshuǐ’s bus station (¥8, 30 minutes) hourly from 7am, and return on the same schedule.

  Buses to Sìdònggōu from Chìshuǐ also pass by the town of Dàtóng (大同), which has an attractive and historic old town (gǔzhèn) quarter.

  Red Rock GorgeGORGE

  (红石野谷; Hóngshí Yěgǔ ¥30; h8am-5pm)

  This distinct, ochre sandstone gorge has long been a poster child for the province. Deep-blue waterfalls gush from between the dānxiá cliffs, also known as Yángjiāyán. Linger at sunset for a perfectly ethereal photograph.

  Minibuses make the 16km journey here from the local bus station next door to the main bus station (¥6, 40 minutes, five daily from 8am to 4.30pm).

  Shízhàngdòng WaterfallWATERFALL

  (十丈洞瀑布; Shízhàngdòng Pùbù ¥40; h8am-4pm)

  The undervisited understudy to the famous Huángguǒshù Falls in the south is a 76m-high beauty pummelling into the pools below. There are fewer restrictions on swimming here, but even if you stand 100m away, you will still get drenched if the wind is right.

  It's about 40km from Chìshuǐ. Nine buses a day (¥13, 1½ hours) run here starting at 6.50am. The bus will drop you in Shízhàngdòng village, from where it’s a short walk to the ticket office.

  From there, it’s a 30- to 40-minute walk up a hard road to the turn-off to the waterfall, or you can ride there on a buggy (one-way/return ¥10/20).

  Another, more pleasant walk, stretches to the falls on the other side of the river. Doing the complete circuit takes three to four hours. Try to visit before noon during the low season as a hydroelectric dam upriver slows the water after that time. The waterfall is also known as Chìshuǐ Waterfall (Chìshuǐ Dàpùbù).

  4Sleeping

  Chìshuǐ has a range of modern, three-star hotels near the bus station, and some smarter options a short walk south.

  Chìshuǐ HotelHOTEL$

  (赤水大酒店; Chìshuǐ Dàjiǔdiàn %0852 282 1334; 106 Xinei Huanlu; 西内环路106号 tw & d ¥200; aiW)

  A little tired in the paint and plastering, but nonetheless a welcoming hotel with spacious rooms featuring English-language movies and strong internet connections. The beds are spine-aligningly firm.

  River View Private HotelHOTEL$$

  (河景私人的酒店; Héjǐng Sīrénde Jiǔdiàn %0852 2287 0888; 河濱路; Hebin Lu d ¥188-238; paW)

  Hustle through the shiny check-in and check out the murals in this (you guessed it) riverside
hotel, which may be better suited to young lovers with cartoon dreams. Still, who doesn't love Super Mario on their wall? Especially when the floorboards, stylish interior design and quality fittings surpass anything you'll find elsewhere in town.

  Zhōngyuè DàjiǔdiànHOTEL$$$

  (中悦大酒店 %0852 282 3888; 22 Nanzheng Jie; 南正街22号 tw & d ¥628-768; aiW)

  When you crave the anonymity of a large hotel, this option will deliver discretion, soft carpets and powerful showers. There are discounts (30%) available, even in summer, but you will have to ask.

  5Eating

  Popular restaurants are scattered in the area around Hebin Zhonglu, near the Chìshuǐ River, where there are also simple outdoor bars for an evening beer. The main drag of Renmin Xilu has hole-in-the-wall eateries serving noodle and rice dishes, dumplings and the ever-present pigs’ trotters. There are also street-food stalls, supermarkets and a few hotpot places scattered along Renmin Beilu.

  8Information

  There's a branch of the Industrial & Commercial Bank (ICBC; 工商银行; Gōngshāng Yínháng 紅軍大道; Hongjun Dadao h9am-5pm) with an ATM on Hongjun Dadao, off Renmin Xilu. Another ATM on the corner of Renmin Xilu and Renmin Beilu should also take foreign cards.

  Note that you cannot change money in either Chìshuǐ or Jiǔzhī, so bring extra cash with you or plan to use ATMs.

  8Getting There & Away

  Chìshuǐ's bus station (旅游车站; lǚyóu chēzhàn) is on Nan Jiao Lu on the riverfront opposite Sìchuān, a ¥5 cab ride from Renmin Xilu. Buses for very local destinations leave from next door. Destinations include the following: