15 Best Things to Do in Guizhou, China

Top 1: Get Close to Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun

Asia’s highest and the world’s 3rd largest waterfall, majestic Huangguoshu Waterfall, or called Yellow Fruit Waterfall, plunges a dramatic 77.8 meters across a 101-meter-wide span. In addition to its incredibly large size, Huangguoshu Waterfall is also famous for its unique feature that's accessible for viewing from almost any angle - from above, below, left, right, front and even back! Being a famed postcard of Guizhou, Huangguoshu Waterfall is such an amazing site that every Guizhou visitor is suggested to have a close visit!

The grandest view of Huangguoshu Waterfall usually comes in the months from June to August, when the water reaches its peak flow after days of rains. To get to Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun, you can travel from its nearby Huangguoshu Airport, Guanling Railway Station or Anshun West Railway Station. Considering Anshun is only half an hour or so from Guiyang by bullet train and Guiyang has more frequent flights and trains, visitors also prefer to get from Guiyang to Huangguoshu Waterfall. Check more about Guiyang to Huangguoshu Waterfall >>

☛ 3 Days Kaili Minority & Cultural Experience Tour with Xijiang Miao Village
☛ 6 Days Diverse Guizhou Tour (Guiyang - Fanjingshan - Kaili)

Top 2: Hike the Sacred Mount Fanjing in Tongren

Mount Fanjing in Tongren City of Guizhou was very little known by the world until it was declared as a notable UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018! Cloud-kissing thumb-like twin hills, peculiar-looking mushroom-like stones and sacred Buddhist temples are three most standout treasures of Mount Fanjing. And magnificent cloud sea, sublime light of Buddha and fresh fog floating in the air add more mysterious color to this hidden mountain scenic area. Ride a cable car to the middle of the mountain, and then your amazing hiking starts. On the way, you will visit many great temples and have chance to meet with adorable monkeys. And once arriving at the main scenic area on the upper area of the mountain, there is a round trekking trail between the two summits. You can take a round tour to explore the caves, towers and the well-known mushroom-like stones and so forth. Don’t forget to hike to the top of Red Cloud Golden Summit, where two small temples magically stand atop the twin peaks, with only a small stone bridge linked them together.

Note that there is no hotel inside Mount Fanjing Scenic Area. And camping is not allowed too. Therefore, you are suggested to start your hiking tour from morning instead of afternoon, or you may don’t have enough time to finish the hike!

☛ 3 Days Classic Fanjingshan Tour
☛ 7 Days Zhangjiajie to Fanjingshan Unbelievable Nature Tour

Top 3: Visit Xijiang Miao Village & Langde Dong Village in Leishan

Whenever you ask someone the most popular ethnic village in Guizhou, you will always get an answer of Xijiang Miao Village. Xijiang Miao Village, also known as Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village (village for a thousand Miao families in Xijiang), is the world’s largest village of Miao ethnic groups. This grand village marked by dreaming mountains of wooden stilted houses and rich Miao custom and festival has earned its name, “The Open Air Museum of Miao”. Every year, armies of backpackers from home and abroad flock to this primitive countryside inhabit to explore the brilliant Miao culture. Miao elements are every corner there. On the moment you stepping into Xijiang Miao Village, you will be welcomed with a cup of local liquor offered by Miao woman dressed in their beautiful Miao costumes with colorful decorations and famous silver jewelries. In front of you there are endless Miao-style wooden stilted houses with traditional black roof. And on its square, live Miao ethnic song and dance performances are telling you the Miao history and stories…

Xijiang Miao Village is a year around wonderful site for vacation. To get to this fantastic place, you are suggested to travel from the nearby Kaili City, the bustling center of the whole southeast region of Guizhou Province.

☛ 4 Days Kaili Miao Minority Villages Tour
☛ 6 Days Diverse Guizhou Tour (Guiyang - Fanjingshan - Kaili)

Top 4: Explore the Fairyland Waterscape of Xiaoqikong Scenic Area in Libo

When the Guizhouers long for the province’s most scenic karst river views, they head to Xiaoqikong Scenic Area in Libo. The name Xiaoqikong means “Seven Little Holes”, which refers to the notable seven-hole arch bridge across the river in this scenic area. Though Xiaoqikong Scenic Area is mainly famous for its river scenery, it never inferior on pond, waterfall, karst hill and forest. A tour to Xiaoqikong Scenic Area is somewhat travelling back to nature. You will totally get away from the bustle and hustle of the city there. After leisure trekking along the trails built right close to the rivers, you will find all your worries and bad mood seems to be absorbed by the lingering rivers and standing hills by your side.

Xiaoqikong Scenic Area is about 2 hours’ drive from Rongjiang County and 2.5 hours’ drive from Kaili. There is also an airport named Libo Airport about one hour away from the scenic area by car. However, since seldom head to Xiaoqikong Scenic Area only during their Guizhou tour, tourists prefer to have a Kaili tour or Rongjiang tour first and then take a side trip to Xiaiqokong.

☛ 7 Days Best of Guizhou Tour with Nature & Culture Highlights

Top 5: Hit Zhaoxing Dong Village & Huanggang Dong Village in Liping

Miao and Dong are two major ethnic groups in Guizhou. If Xijiang Miao Village is the ideal site for you to explore Miao culture, and then Zhaoxing Dong Village must be the one for Dong culture. “The Largest Dong Village and No.1 Dong Village in China.” That’s how Zhaoxing Dong Village is best known. Stretching Dong-style wooden houses, artistic Dong drum towers and layers of terraced fields just in front the entrance of the village attract hundreds of and thousands of visitors each year.

About one-hour’s drive west of Zhaoxing Dong Village, another splendid Dong village - Huanggang Dong Village also await your steps. This mysterious village has long drawn in-the-know European visitors and historical humanities researchers. However, it is almost a secret among normal visitors. Therefore, it is really a perfect site for visitors looking for a more peaceful area to savor up Dong culture!

Though Zhaoxing Dong Village and Huangggang Dong Village belong to Liping, they enjoy a closer distance to Congiang Railway Station. In about 10 minutes car ride, you can get from Congjiang Railway Station to Zhaoxing Dong Village. And it takes less than 1 hour to Huanggang Dong Village from Zhaoxing Dong Village by car.

☛ 9 Days Guilin Guizhou In-depth Highlights Tour
☛ 5 Days Guizhou Miao & Dong Minority Tour

Top 6: Travel Back in Time at Some of the Best Old Towns in Guizhou

Old towns are the best witness of history. Guizhou boasts many great old towns and its Top 4 are Qingyan Old Town, Zhenyuan Old Town, Bingan Old Town and Longli Old Town.

Top 1: Qingyan Old Town

Qingyan Old Town in the capital Guiyang has a long history of more than 600 years. It is reputed as the “South Gate of Guiyang”. Walking the narrow lanes paved with quartzite and appreciating the traditional wooden buildings by your side is such a pleasant thing to do during your Guizhou tour!

Top 2: Zhenyuan Ancient Town

Zhenyuan Old Town built at the riverside and on the cliffs next to Wuyang River is a popular old town rich in “Feng Shui”, a magical philosophy in China that looking for balance and harmony between an individual and their environment. If you are there, remember to try a leisure cruise to check its secrets of town building out!

Top 3: Bingan Old Town

Different from Qingyan Old Town that mainly famed as a military town in history, Bingan Old Town in nowadays Cishui City of Guizhou was once a vital trade station. Guizhou Peddlers who brought salt from Shu (nowadays Sichuan) took a break there.

Top 4: Longli Old Town

Compared with the other three old towns in Guizhou, Longli Old Town is very low-key. This town is more proud of its literature atmosphere. Wangchangling, a famous poet of Tang Dynasty (618-907) once live there. Visitors planning to visit Zhaoxing Dong Village can take a side trip to Longli, because they are only 1 hour’s driving away.

☛ 2 Days Classic Guiyang Tour with Qingyan Ancient Town
☛ 3 Days Kaili Minority & Cultural Experience Tour with Xijiang Miao Village

Top 7: Cruise the Karst Caves at Dragon Palace in Anshun

Stalagmites and stalactites? You never know how beautiful and spectacular they are when they just in front of your eyes. Not very far from Huangguoshu Waterfall, there is Dragon Palace, which gives you an up-close chance to marvel at these otherworldly masterpieces. Dragon Palace boasts two Guinness World Records - the largest drought and water karst cave cluster and the lowest natural emissivity. There are more than 90 karst caves scattered the Dragon Palace Scenic Area. And now its main sections opened to public are two water tunnel caves, with dramatic array of stalagmites and stalactites in vibrant greens, yellows, reds and so on. The two water tunnels measure for about 1.2 kilometers in total, which are all accessible by boat. Inside the caves, there are also waterfalls and temples for you to visit!

Driving from Huangguoshu Waterfall Scenic Area to Dragon Palace needs less than one hour! You are suggested to add this karst wonderland into your Guizhou tour if you have plans to visit the waterfall.

☛ 3 Days Kaili Minority & Cultural Experience Tour with Xijiang Miao Village

Top 8: Take a Side Trip to Biasha Miao Village in Congjiang

Among the so many villages in Guizhou, Biasha Miao Village, or called Basha Miao Village, is a unique one. Biasha Miao Village is praised as “The Last Gunner Tribe in the World”. Biasha people prefer to carry their proud gun with them since the ancient time. And they are still approved to do at nowadays, which is rare happen in anywhere else China. Biasha man has their unique hair style with hairs only on the top of the head, in a bun shape. The rest hairs will be shaved by their sickle. It must be a crazy scene to see a man’s hair being shaved by a sickle, which is used to cut the crops, bamboos or something else. And at Biasha Miao Village, you will have opportunity to appreciate this old tradition!

Biasha Miao Village is only 8.5 kilometers from Congjiang downtown, which takes only 20 minutes around by car. If you are going to visit Zhaoxing Dong Village or Jiabang Rice Terraces near Congjiang, it will be a good idea to add Biasha Miao Village into your trip.

☛ 5 Days Guizhou Miao & Dong Minority Tour

Top 9: Appreciate Marvelous Jiabang Rice Terraces in Congjiang

Jiabnag Rice Terraces is One of the Six Best Rice Terraces in China! Due to its transportation condition, Jiabang hidden in the deep mountains in Congjiang County of Guizhou Province was not that well known than other popular rice terraces in China, like Longji Rice Terraces in Guilin and Yuanyang Rice Terraces in Yunnan. However, things change a lot with the rapid development of road construction. More and more visitors drive to Jiabang Rice Terraces for sightseeing. And it is indeed a fairyland that well worth a close visit. Together with the stilted houses of Miao families scattered in the mountain, Jiabang Rice Terraces will introduce you more primitive farming life of China’s minority people. The thousands layers of terraced fields are also paradise for hiking and photography.

The best time to visit Jiabang Rice Terraces is during the 4th, 5th and 8th month of Chinese lunar calendar, which usually come in April, May, June, September and early October. April, May and June are the best months to encounter with the mirror-like fields full of water, which will glitter under the sunshine. September and early October are the harvest season. So if you visit Jiabang Rice Terraces during these two months, you will be welcomed by mountains of golden waves and have chances to see local farmers dressed in their unique ethnic customs working in rice fields.

☛ 6 Days Guizhou Ethnic Tour with Jiabang Rice Terraces & Zhenyuan

Top 10: Discover Matang Gejia Village & Jidao Miao Village in Kaili

China has altogether 56 ethnic minority groups, while Gejia is said to be the 57th. Some people also hold the view that Gejia is a small branch of Miao. However, this small ethnic group varies a lot from Miao in languages and costumes. As local legend says, Gejia people are the direct descendants of Hou Yi, a legendary hero who saved the human beings from the heat of as many as ten suns. According to legend, Hou Yi shot nice scorching suns down and left the only one we can see at today. It is a unique experience to visit Gejia Village. And Matang Gejia Village, the largest one with the largest group of Gejia people, is the best one to explore unique Gejia culture.

Jidao Miao Village is another cultural ethnic village in Kaili. Jidao is only 20 kilometers and 1 hour driving away from Xijiang Miao Village, the largest and most popular Miao Village in Guizhou. Some visitors heading to Xijiang Miao Village may also take a side trip to Jidao Miao Village to savor more tranquil atmosphere.

☛ 3 Days Classic Fanjingshan Tour

Top 11: Peruse Some of the Top Museums in Guizhou

If you are looking for the best museums about ethnic culture in China, then look no further than Guizhou! Guizhou has many great museums for your ethnic custom discovery! Kaili Minority Museum, for instance, is one of the best choices. This unique museum in Kaili downtown shows the visitors the cultures of all minority groups in Southeast Guizhou, especially Miao and Dong, giving you overall idea about colorful customs and culture of different minority groups!

For visitor keen on batik craft in China, you are also highly suggested to pay a visit to Anshun Batik Culture Museum. The ancient folk tradition of hand painting and dyeing has well-kept in Guizhou, especially in the Qiandongnan region (Southeast Guizhou). And at Anshun Batik Culture Museum, you will appreciate many beautiful batik costumes of different ethnic groups, giving you a basic glimpse of the cloth culture in Guizhou.

☛ 3 Days Kaili Minority & Cultural Experience Tour with Xijiang Miao Village

Top 12: Find out What Karst Peak Forest is at Wanfenglin Scenic Area in Xingyi

If you have been to Guilin or Yangshuo before, you must love the magnificent karst scenery full of endless tower-like karst hills and twists and turns of rivers. Karst views at Wanfenglin Scenic Area will show you another appealing beauty! Besides the endless karst hills decorated at the horizon line, the rest of the fields are all cut into pieces in different geometric shapes. Imagine climbing up one of the hill, you will be awarded with an unbelievable beautiful world - the field is just like a huge exquisite carpet, with a mini elegant village in the middle and continuous karst hills standing one by one decorated by the side. With the sun moving with time goes by, the spotlight-like sun lights squeeze from the gaps between hill summits, forming an extremely gorgeous fairyland.

Wanfenglin is really beautiful and deserves every nature lover a visit. The only problem is that Wanfenglin Scenic Area is relatively far from other attractions in Guizhou, which will take you 2~3 days more to have an in-depth tour. However, considering it is located on the way from Guizhou to Kunming, it will be a good middle stop for visitors planning to visit Yunnan and Guizhou in One Go!

Top 13: Savor Stunning Danxia Landscape in Chishui

On the 34th session of World Heritage Convention, China Danxia Landscape was listed as a cherished UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. China Danxia Landscape includes 6 famous scenic spots, while Chishui Danxia Landscape is considered to be the largest one! Unique Danxia Landscape in Chishui makes the city rich in red! Waterfalls plunge from precipitous red cliffs. Hiking trails are cut from red stones. Lush green trees are grown up from red soil. What a beautiful red world! Besides the bright red color, Chishui Danxia Landscape also boasts many other colors like blue, green, white, yellow…

If you are fond of Danxia Landscape in Guizhou, you can take a Chishui tour into your trip! Ride a high speed train to Wenxing Railway Station first, and then drive for about 96km and 2 hours further east, you will arrive at this Danxia world.

Top 14: Tour Maotai Town in Zunyi

Chinese liquor lovers? You must have heard of Maotai before. Maotai is one of the world's three most famous liquors, together with whisky in Scotch and Cognac brandy in French. Maotai Town, where the valuable Maotai Liquor made, just located in Zunyi City of Guizhou Province. Inside the Moutai Distillery, there is a Culture City that will introduce you the development of Maotai and the essence of Chinese wine culture. Want more background of Maotai? How about plan a tour to visit Maotai Town in person?

Top 15: Get an Up-close View of the FAST

Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope, or called FAST for short, is the largest filled-aperture radio telescope, most sensitive radio telescope and the second-largest single-dish aperture in the world. Reputed as the “Eye of the Sky”, the FAST plays an essential role on astro observation, alien signals search and so on. Till the end of 2019, the FAST has helped find 93 confirmed newfound pulsars.

A tour to the FAST is far from getting an up-close view of its sublime shape only. Besides that, there is also an International Astronomical Experience Hall, from where you will get interesting introductions about the FAST, the solar system, the starry sky of different season and so forth. If you travel with your kids, it must be an interesting education vacation to satisfy their curiosity about astronomy and aliens.