The beauty of Guizhou is the surprise after winding mountains and waters

I saw a set of photos of Baiyan Village in the early morning online and was completely captivated. The morning mist draped the layered terraced fields like a light veil, a real-life version of a hidden paradise! I secretly decided right then that this summer trip to Guiyang must be arranged!

Honestly, for this trip to Guiyang, I locked in a 🐬 chartered car tour! With a local driver-guide planning the itinerary and providing pick-up and drop-off, I only needed to say where I wanted to go 🥰

We arrived in the afternoon, and everyone was very hungry (the airplane meal was really not good). City transportation is quite convenient, and there are many food guides, so we chose to first eat and drink well in the city before taking a chartered car to explore the surroundings. Although the service hadn’t started yet, the driver-guide thoughtfully recommended several good spots, and we chose Qingyun Market.

The streets were full of local specialty snacks! Soulful glutinous rice with crispy sausage 🍙, refreshing and palate-cleansing cucumber ice juice 🍈, and a hundred ways to enjoy potatoes 🥔... As a potato lover, I was over the moon! So dazzling!

My favorite local drink was Tea Mountain milk tea, refreshing and not greasy. I had almost one cup every day during my stay in Guizhou~😍

The highlight of this trip was definitely Baiyan Village. On the way, the city skyscrapers gradually turned into endless terraced fields 🖼️. Those terraces looked like green ribbons carefully combed by nature, layered and winding smoothly. They reflected the blue sky and white clouds, and when the wind blew, ripples appeared on the water surface, with light and shadow swaying.

The last stretch to Baiyan Mountain was very winding. Luckily, our driver-guide was experienced, familiar with the road, and drove steadily and skillfully, so the ride was almost bump-free. If you came by yourself or had a driver unfamiliar with the road, it would really make your scalp tingle... Once again, I appreciate the wisdom of booking a chartered car!

Besides sightseeing, the driver-guide also planned some local special experiences for us. We pounded glutinous rice cakes in the village and caught fish in the rice fields. The steamed glutinous rice was poured into a stone mortar, and with a wooden mallet, it stuck together. We took turns pounding with the local grandma, and after a few hits, we were tired 💪 The driver-guide took photos for me to capture the moment. Soon the rice fragrance wafted out, the rice cakes were soft, and wiping sweat and tasting one bite, it was truly delicious! 👍

In the afternoon, we went fishing in the rice fields. The water was ankle-deep and ice-cold, and the rice ears brushed against my arms. The fish slipped away as soon as I touched them. The driver-guide laughed at my cluelessness from the field edge and taught me some techniques. After trying for a while, I spotted a fish shadow and caught a big one. The excitement at that moment was indescribable.

In the following days, the driver-guide also took us to Leishan County, Xiangshuiyan Waterfall hiking, Langde Upper Village, and Wudong Miao Village. Compared to these more developed and commercialized places, I still preferred staying in a secluded paradise like Baiyan Village.

We were interested in the villages, so we visited two. Although both had nice scenery, they felt somewhat similar. If you are interested in both, I recommend going to Wudong Miao Village more.

The pace these days was so slow it was intoxicating... It felt like time here was set to half speed, and I completely relaxed 🫶

The places we visited are all hidden in the mountains and can only be reached by self-driving or chartered car. Don’t even ask me to drive on those mountain roads; just sitting there made my heart tremble. The 🐬 chartered car tour experience can be summed up in one word: worth it! Transportation, itinerary, explanations, photos... everything is arranged clearly and thoroughly, especially suitable for trips involving hard-to-reach but treasure-like places.