Guizhou
Guizhou, as a multi-minority province in Southwest China, is sandwiched in between popular neighbors Yunnan, Sichuan, and Guangxi, and rarely gets any attention, but Guizhou ranked as the sixth-largest travel area in the world by Lonely Planet (the only region in China) in 2020 with its charm. From Huangguoshu Waterfall to Jiabang Terraces, from Zhaoxing to Kaili, many unique scenic spots and local minorities attract a constant swirl of visitors.
ABC’s of Guizhou
Area: 176 100 km2
Average annual temperature: 18.2 degrees
Geography: A mountainous region located in southwestern China
Population: 35 800 000 inhabitants(2018)
Altitude: 1,000 m on average
Ethnic minorities: 17 ethnic minorities including the Dong, Buyi, Zhuang, Miao, and Tujia, etc.
Economy: agricultural, tourism
Guizhou Top Attractions
Guizhou is a subtropical humid monsoon climate which means it’s pretty wet. The weather is changeable, as the saying goes, you can experience all four seasons in one day.
In winter, the temperature fluctuates between 1 and 10 degrees, while in summer, the temperature rarely exceeds 28 degrees. The least rainy month is between October and April, and the beginning of spring is the best season for traveling in Guizhou.
Guizhou is a revolutionary place for the Chinese Communist Party. In 1935, the Communist Party held a critical conference in Zunyi City (historically known as “Zunyi Conference”), which established Maozedong’s leading position in the party and laid a foundation for the victory.
During the Second Sino-Japanese war, China improved transportation in Guizhou as it served as a link to Burma Road. When the Chinese economic reform started in 1978, Guizhou got less influence due to geographical factors. Today, Guizhou has become one of the fastest-growing provinces in China.
Delays in development have allowed many of these cultures to maintain their traditional lifestyles. Until today, many villages maintain their ethnic architectural styles, especially the wooden-stilt houses and wooden drum towers of the Dong nationality are very famous and attract many tourists.
There are believers of Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity in the Guizhou region. Among them, ethnic minorities account for about 70%. Also, ethnic minorities have their traditional religions.
Renowned local specialties of the Miao and Dong minority:
- Fish in sour soup (specialties of the Miao group)
- Pickled vegetables
- Dongs’ grilled glutinous rice
- colorful glutinous rice dyed with plant
Trips and Tours Ideas in Guizhou
Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guilin: villages & minorities
17 days | Lijiang, Shangri-La, Dali, Zhaoxing, Guilin, and Yangshuo
These three provinces of southern China are home to some of the most famous natural scenery in China. You can experience a variety of colorful minority mosaic.
