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What kind of place is Guizhou?
49 ethnic minorities live here, creating the wonder of the mountain ethnic "Cultural Thousand Islands" where "one mountain has different ethnic groups, ten miles have different customs, and a hundred miles have different habits". It is known as the world's largest "original ethnic museum".
Guizhou, a quintessential mountain tourism destination, boasts breathtaking scenery encompassing eight mountains, one river, and one field. Its unique geomorphology and topography have created a karst kingdom of mountains, waterfalls, canyons, caves, lakes, and hot springs. With an average annual temperature of 15.6°C in most areas, Guizhou, with its distinct four seasons, has become a sought-after summer destination. However, Guizhou's winter charm holds its own.
Image from China-TravelNote Photography Network
From December 1, 2018, to February 28, 2019, Guizhou Province's A-level tourist attractions will offer free admission to residents of cities supporting Guizhou, including Shanghai, Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Shandong, as well as residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Residents of all other provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities will enjoy a 50% discount on the listed ticket price. (This discount does not apply to franchised attractions within the scenic area, or commercial properties like hot springs, ski resorts, and zoos.)
Image from Photo Network
When it comes to winter travel, whether you're looking for snow in Tohoku or Hokkaido, or escaping the cold in Sanya or Southeast Asia, explore the hidden mountains and marvel at the natural beauty and charming ethnic customs. Guizhou, a lesser-known destination, offers exceptional value and is a must-see.
Image from Tuchong
In addition to the beautiful winter scenery, of course you can't miss the experiences unique to this season: snow hot springs, alpine skiing, etc.
Snow Hot Springs
Guizhou has a large number of natural high-quality hot springs, with a total of 264 hot springs distributed in 72 counties (districts), 77 of which are excellent and are known as the "China Hot Spring Province".
Bailing Hot Spring
Bailing Hot Spring Water is a highly mineralized hot spring that comes from the Permian fault 2,500 meters underground. It has a daily output of more than 1,200 cubic meters, a water temperature of 58 degrees Celsius, a pH value of 6.94, and is transparent with a slight yellowish tint.
An analysis by the Guiyang Mineral Resources Supervision and Inspection Center of the Ministry of Land and Resources confirmed that the spring water contains high levels of metasilicic acid, iron, and fluoride ions, is mildly irritating, and meets the standards for medical mineral water. This makes it a high-temperature metasilicic acid hot spring with high medical value. Metasilicic acid has the potential to soften blood vessels and enhance skin beauty.
Image from official
Shiqian Hot Spring
Shiqian Hot Springs, also known as "Chengnan Hot Springs," is the first national-level hot spring scenic area, boasting 36 springs throughout the county. Rich in selenium, strontium, lithium, radon, zinc, iodine, metasilicic acid, and other trace elements beneficial to human health, Shiqian Hot Springs offers excellent therapeutic benefits for diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, neuritis, and skin diseases.
Jianhe Hot Spring
Jianhe Hot Springs, known since ancient times as the "Holy Water of Miao Border" and the "Bath Capital of Western China," are a rare radon and sulfur hot spring in China. With a daily output of 1,200 tons, the water temperature remains between 36 and 46°C year-round. Known as the "Holy Water of Miao Country," the spring water contains a variety of elements, including hydrogen sulfide, iron, potassium, calcium, and radon.
Tips:
Benefits of hot spring bathing:
1. Hot springs are rich in chemical substances, which are beneficial for the supplement of trace elements
2. Hot springs can relax muscles and joints, and relieve muscle and joint pain and mental stress.
3. Dilate blood vessels, promote blood circulation, and accelerate human metabolism
Alpine skiing
Skiing has become a beloved winter outdoor sport. Located in the low-latitude Guizhou province of Liupanshui, thanks to its unique climate and environmental resources, it boasts several alpine ski resorts. With its lush greenery and rime-covered landscapes, this is the perfect place for a winter getaway and a tranquil escape.
Image from Photo Network
Meihuashan International Ski Resort
It is currently one of the largest ski resorts in Southwest China, with a total planned area of 62.83 square kilometers and a snow track area of 91,700 square meters. The highest altitude of the scenic area is more than 2,800 meters, with a maximum drop of more than 700 meters. It has beginner, intermediate and advanced ski tracks that can accommodate 5,000 people at the same time.
The Meihua Mountain Cableway, with a straight-line distance of 9.91 kilometers and a vertical drop of 620 meters between its start and end points, is the world's longest mountain cableway with a single route. The cable car journeys past cities, wetlands, lakes, and canyons, creating a world of ice and snow, blanketed in a blanket of white.
The recreational activities are divided into eight areas: ski resort, ice and snow entertainment area, snow sculpture park, circular snowmobile, all-terrain four-wheel drive venue, snow surfing, and children's playground. The snow trails are divided into high, medium and beginner trails, with a total length of 1,880 meters.
Yushe National Forest Park Ski Resort
This ski resort is currently the lowest in China, boasting an average annual temperature of 12.2°C, 80,000 square meters of snow, and an extremely high concentration of negative oxygen ions in the air. The scenic area offers a variety of snow sports, including alpine skiing, snowmobiling, and snow tubing.
Recreation items: 5 snow slopes, including 1 beginner slope, 3 intermediate slopes, 1 advanced slope, 1 snow play area, and 5 snow magic carpets.
Picture from the scenic spot's official website
Tips:
Skiing tips:
1. Beginners should proceed step by step and do what they can. It is recommended that you seek guidance from a ski instructor. Avoid skiing in areas with specific technical requirements before reaching a certain level of skill, as this can lead to accidents.
2. Before skiing, you should first exercise your body and do some simple warm-up exercises; warm-up exercises should be done after changing into equipment, such as changing into snow clothes and snow boots.
3. The temperature at the ski resort is low, so beginners should prepare frostbite medicine and hemostatic medicine.
4. If you feel yourself losing balance, fall backwards, sliding naturally down the slope until you come to a stop. There are three things you shouldn't do when falling: don't use your hands to support yourself, don't move your arms and legs, and don't roll over.
5. In addition to the necessary snowshoes, snowboards and poles, the most important equipment for skiing is a helmet.
6. Pull over to the side to rest and avoid collisions. When skiing, you are not afraid of falling, but you are afraid of collisions.
7. First aid knowledge. You should learn some basic medical knowledge and first aid knowledge, such as how to deal with injuries and what to do after a fracture.
Here, humans and nature live in perfect harmony. Weining Caohai, along with Qinghai Lake and Dianchi Lake, is one of China's three major plateau lakes. It's the largest natural lake in Guizhou and has been named a popular tourist destination by National Geographic. It's also a bird kingdom, home to 228 species. It's one of the "Top Ten Birdwatching Spots in the World," making it an ideal choice for birdwatching in winter and spring and for escaping the summer heat in autumn.
In winter, Caohai offers not only breathtaking scenery but also the chance to spot the national treasure, the black-necked crane. With a narrow distribution range and a small population, the black-necked crane is the only crane species to inhabit the plateau. This time of year attracts countless tourists and photography enthusiasts.
Fanjing Mountain is a newly-listed World Natural Heritage Site, a famous place of practice for Maitreya Bodhisattva, and one of the five largest Buddhist mountains in my country.
Image from Tuchong
It also boasts the best-preserved and most typical primeval forest on Earth at its latitude, and is the sole habitat of the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey, a first-class protected species. Known as the "Fanjing Mountain Spirit" and "Earth's Only Son," the Guizhou snub-nosed monkey currently numbers approximately 700 individuals.
With the arrival of winter, the holy white snow and the vast horizon make the winter of Fanjing Mountain full of sacredness and perfection. The rosy clouds and rime ice add even more charm to Fanjing Mountain.
Image from Photo Network
Only in Guizhou can you experience the world's karst caves. Guizhou is the region with the most extensive and typical karst caves in the world. Moreover, in winter, the caves are not affected by the weather and remain warm.
Image from Photo Network
Zhijin Cave boasts numerous titles, including "National Geopark," "King of Chinese Karst Caves," "Top of China's Top Ten Wonderful Caves," and "Karst Museum." Over 100 golden and silver pagodas tower within the 16,000-square-meter cave hall. The scenic area, centered on caves, canyons, natural bridges, tiankengs, and other geological relics, forms a plateau karst landscape.
Image from tourists guide
Libo is known as the "Emerald of the Earth's Belt," with its waters comparable to Jiuzhaigou. In fact, within Libo's Maolan Karst primeval forest, over 20,000 mu (approximately 1,000 acres) of wild plum blossoms grow, including hundreds of rare, ancient plum trees over 200 years old, making it the largest wild plum blossom collection in southwest China. Every winter, the blossoms here burst into vibrant glory, blooming for a month.
Image from Photo Network
Some parts of Guizhou, particularly the southwestern region, are exceptionally lively. Every year, the Miao people celebrate their most important festival, the Miao New Year; the Shui people celebrate their grandest festival, the Duan Festival; the Gelao people celebrate their tree-worshipping festival; and the Tunbu Tun New Year. These diverse folk activities create a visual and auditory feast. Besides folk festivals, you can also enjoy nationally and internationally renowned folk songs such as the Dong folk song.
Miao Year
The Miao New Year, which falls between the ninth month and the first lunar month (dates vary by region), is the Miao people's grandest festival. It's not only the Miao New Year but also a crucial ancestral worship festival. Miao villages are at their busiest during this time: many Miao migrant workers return home, dressed in their finest attire, singing and dancing, and enjoying traditional activities like bullfighting, horse racing, pole climbing, and reunion music. In the evening, they make glutinous rice cakes and enjoy a reunion dinner, creating a lively atmosphere.
Lusheng Festival
The Miao people have long loved playing the Lusheng instrument and performing Lusheng dances. The Lusheng Festival is one of the most common and grand traditional festivals in Miao areas. On the day, people gather in their finest attire to play the Lusheng instrument, beat bronze drums, sing folk songs, and perform Lusheng dances, creating a grand spectacle. The Lusheng Festival also features the thrilling and eye-catching bullfighting competition.
Dong ethnic group's big song
The Dong people are renowned for their singing and dancing, particularly for their polyphonic, unaccompanied Dong Da Ge (Big Song), a folk choral form with no instrumentation or conductor. Originating in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, it boasts a history of over 2,500 years and is known as music that shimmers like a clear spring. Every winter, Congjiang holds a grand Dong Da Ge Festival, and visitors can also visit Xiaohuang Dong Village, known as the hometown of the Da Ge, to learn more about it.
Guizhou is an underrated city for its culinary offerings. Dishes like shaved pork in soup, mutton hotpot, and spicy chicken hotpot are all perfect winter treats to ward off the cold. Southeast Guizhou also boasts signature dishes like sour fish hotpot and long table banquets. The pickled fish, featured in the documentary "A Bite of China," is a recognized local delicacy, often prepared between the Cold Dew and Frost Descent periods.
The Spring Festival is almost here, have you decided where to go? If you don't want to see the crowds at a crowded tourist attraction, why not head to Guizhou? You can avoid the crowds and explore the mysterious culture and scenery of the ancient Yelang Kingdom. It's definitely worth the trip!
