Golden Autumn in Southwest Guizhou | Tuole Ginkgo Trees, Autumn Caves, and Peaks: A 6-Day Experience

Day 1 National → or → Guiyang ★ Assembly Day

All day

Today is the gathering day. All tourists will go to the Guiyang hotel to check in. Please provide "China-Travel Note + Name" to check in.

Recommended surrounding attractions, you can go there on your own

Guiyang's 4A-level scenic park - Qianling Mountain Park; check in at Dongshan Temple for a panoramic view of Guiyang city; Guiyang's ancient and modern context - Guiyang City Walk; Guizhou's food concentration area - Qingyun Market; Guizhou's concentrated landscape bonsai - Tianhetan; the mysterious art castle = Yelang Valley; check in at landmarks such as Quanhu Park and Xiputuo Temple.

Food recommendations

Beef noodles, intestine noodles, fried potatoes, glutinous rice, silken dolls, barbecued meat on bamboo skewers, love tofu, ice jelly/ice paddle, street hot pot, spicy potato chips, etc.

Note: Keep your phone accessible so you can contact the tour leader. Be safe during free time!

Day 2 Guiyang → Zhijin Cave → Liupanshui

All day

Wake up at the hotel in the morning, have breakfast and then gather to head to Zhijin Cave.

Zhijin Cave is often described as "After visiting Huangshan, you won't want to see any other peaks; there's no cave like Zhijin Cave." This is indeed true. Even those who have visited countless karst caves will still be captivated by Zhijin Cave's majestic grandeur and crystalline translucence. The beauty of Zhijin Cave lies in its imposing grandeur and graceful grace. Wandering through Zhijin Cave, you'll feel as if you're amidst towering mountains and precipitous cliffs beneath a hazy, boundless night sky. Its stillness exudes a powerful presence. Only after a moment of astonishment and a moment of calm, you can truly appreciate its details.

After visiting Zhijin Cave, you can check into your hotel in Liupanshui and rest. Tourists with more time can visit Shuicheng Ancient Town, where you can visit the free Third Line Construction Museum and discover Liupanshui's many delicious foods and snacks.

Driving time: Guiyang to Zhijin Cave: 105 km, estimated 2 hours; Zhijin Cave to Liupanshui: 150 km, estimated 2.5 hours

Day 3 Liupanshui → Tuole Village → Fenglin Buyi → Xingyi

·morning

After breakfast, drive to [Tuole Ancient Ginkgo Village],

As autumn arrives, the ginkgo trees gradually turn golden, and the quaint village houses feel like stepping into a fairytale. Savor local ecological farmhouse cuisine. In this crisp autumn air, the rustling of falling ginkgo leaves and the cool breeze bring a touch of coolness as you savor local delicacies! We'll stay here to quietly savor the scenery. Here, gurgling water flows, small bridges flow, and the scenery is beautiful, with ancient trees lingering, bridges reflecting rainbows, and unique peaks flanking temples. Quantule Village boasts over 1,200 ancient ginkgo trees, with diameters ranging from 50 to 150 cm, some reaching as high as 220 cm. Most trees are over 300 years old, with some exceeding 1,200 years old, and trunks reaching tens of meters.

·afternoon

In the evening, head to Xingyi [Fenglin Buyi] Scenic Area to enjoy the daytime scenery and night views.

The pavilions and towers here are built against the mountain and surrounded by peaks and forests. It is a prosperous city hidden from the world and a palace in the sky. It is like entering the world of ancient costume movies and TV shows.

After the tour, gather at the hotel at the appropriate time;

Driving distance: Liupanshui to Tuole Village, about 156 kilometers, 2.5 hours Tuole Village to Wanfenglin, about 103 kilometers, 2 hours

Day 4 Xingyi → Maling River → Wanfenglin

·morning

After breakfast, we will depart for the "Scar on the Earth" [Maling River Canyon]

The Maling River Grand Canyon was formed by crustal movement 70 million years ago. Long-term water erosion has created a deep, narrow fissure in the earth, known as the "Scar on the Earth." We will explore the canyon's mystical beauty, a scenic spot characterized by thousands of peaks, thousands of islands, hundreds of waterfalls, unique valleys, and colorful paintings.

·afternoon

In the afternoon, we'll visit the Wanfenglin Scenic Area to experience this pristine, idyllic landscape. Because it's so rarely known, many people simply overlook it from a distance. But following China-TravelNote, you'll discover that what truly captivates you is not only the majestic peaks, resembling a vast army, but also the down-to-earth Buyi villagers working their plows in the Bagua fields, along the Nahui River below the peaks.

We will arrange peak forest coffee and peak forest cycling along the way, so that you can enjoy the peak forest scenery by cycling and have a cup of coffee during the break.

Afterwards, check in to a hotel near Wanfenglin Scenic Area to rest.

Driving time: Wanfenglin to Maling River Grand Canyon is estimated to be 0.5 hours, covering a distance of 19 kilometers.

Day 5 Xingyi → Baling River Bridge → Huangguoshu Tianxing Bridge

·morning

After breakfast, we headed to the Baling River Bridge, where we walked on the world's largest bridge and felt the charm of this super project.

The Baling River, 2,237 meters long and 370 meters high, is the world's first kilometer-span bridge across a mountainous canyon. At its completion, it was the "first in China and sixth in the world" for a steel truss suspension bridge. It has won the Lu Ban Award for Construction Engineering (National Quality Engineering Award), the highest honor for engineering quality in my country's construction industry. The Baling River also offers the extreme sport of "Bungee Jumping," certified by the 2019 Guinness World Records as the world's highest commercial bungee jump, a challenge for adventurers.

·afternoon

Heading to Huangguoshu's Tianxing Bridge, while not as spectacular as the Grand Waterfall or the Steep Pond, it offers a unique scenery. Here, walking through the secret forest, one feels like a winding path leading to a bright new world. Sometimes you'll see a river, sometimes you'll encounter a waterfall, and sometimes you'll turn a corner and enter a cave. At the upper section of Tianxing Bridge, the water flows underground, only to reappear, forming the Silver Chain Falling Pool and the Star Gorge Waterfall.

If time and energy permit, we have enough time to play, and arrange the first half and the second half! Take you to appreciate the beautiful scenery of Tianxing Bridge!

After the tour, we went to the hotel to rest.

Driving distance: Wanfenglin to Baling River Bridge is 194 kilometers, estimated time is 2.5 hours; Maling River Grand Canyon to Huangguoshu is 12 kilometers, estimated time is 0.5 hours

Day 6 Huangguoshu → Guiyang Disbandment

All day

First, we headed to the Doupotang Waterfall Scenic Area, the filming location for the 1986 version of Journey to the West. Atop the waterfall is a vast 15,000-square-meter karst pool, formed on a calcified beach bar that meanders over 100 meters long.

There is also a special phenomenon in Doupotang Waterfall: every time before the flood comes, the waterfall will make a "boom, boom" roaring sound, so it is also called "Roaring Waterfall".

Afterward, take a scenic shuttle bus to witness Huangguoshu Waterfall, Asia's tallest waterfall and one of the world's most renowned waterfalls, renowned for its sheer force. The falls are 77.8 meters high, with the main cascade reaching 67 meters. They are 101 meters wide, with the crest 83.3 meters wide. Huangguoshu Waterfall is a typical example of an erosional fissure waterfall in karst landforms. Experience the awe-inspiring cascade of water, akin to the Milky Way falling from the heavens.

After the tour, we gathered and boarded the bus back to Guiyang, ending our pleasant 6-day trip. Everyone kissed goodbye with tears in their eyes.

Driving distance: Huangguoshu to Guiyang North High-speed Railway Station is 130 kilometers and takes 2 hours. Guiyang North High-speed Railway Station to Longdongbao Airport is 23 kilometers and takes 40 minutes.

Wanfenglin and Wanfeng Lake: Visit these two locations and discover how ancient Chinese landscape paintings were copied from these very places. To escape the hustle and bustle of the big city and breathe in Guizhou's fresh air, we'll arrange a one-night stay in each location, immersing you in the immersive atmosphere of "picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, leisurely gazing at the southern mountains."

Maling River Canyon: Known as "a beautiful scar on the earth," the Maling River Canyon offers unique natural scenery. As you walk through the canyon, dozens of waterfalls cascade down the canyon's banks into the Maling River, creating a breathtaking scene reminiscent of galloping horses.

Huangguoshu Waterfall: Huangguoshu is a well-known attraction in Guizhou. As Guizhou's tourism icon, it's a must-see. Wander through the "Water Curtain Cave" behind the waterfall and stroll through the fairytale-like "Sky Star Bridge" scenic area. China-TravelNote will help you discover the beauty of this area you've never noticed before.