Southwest

Guizhou Province travel guide

贵州省 · 6 cities · 54 places

Huangguoshu Waterfall, Western Guizhou · AI illustration for China Trip

Cities and areas in Guizhou

Western Guizhou

To photograph Huangguoshu Waterfall, be sure to go down to the edge of Xiniu Pool (Rhino Pool). The scenery, angle and light there are ideal. Do not jostle with large crowds on the path to Shuilian Cave for the shot, since the angles and results are poor there. Other good vantage points include: Guanpu Pavilion (Waterfall Viewing Pavilion), which offers a panoramic view of the waterfall; beside the three-character “Shuilian Dong” (Water Curtain Cave) stone tablet, where skilled photographers can capture a double rainbow (the refraction zone is in the morning); and Wangshui Pavilion, which gives a bird's-eye view of the waterfall plunging down in full force.

Overview

Guizhou Province

Self-Guided Tours:

Western Route: Karst Landscape Tour

Guiyang→Hongfeng Lake→Anshun→Zhijin Cave→Longgong (Dragon Palace)→Huangguoshu Waterfall and Tianxingqiao→Zhijin Cave→Malinghe Canyon

Eastern Route: History, Culture and Pristine Nature Tour

Shibing→Wuyanghe Three Gorges→Zhenyuan→Fanjing Mountain

Southeastern Route: Dong Village Folk Culture Tour

Guiyang→Kaili→Rongjiang→Congjiang→Liping

Southern Route: Primeval Forest Ecology and Ethnic Culture Tour

Guiyang→Duyun→Dushan→Libo

Northern Route: Long March Culture and Baijiu Tour

Guiyang→Xifeng→Zunyi→Renhuai→Maotai Town→Chishui

Self-Drive Tours:

Up Close to Southwest China

Guiyang→Duyun→Xinzhai→Nanping→Hechi→Yizhou→Liuzhou

Touring Southeastern Guizhou

Guiyang→Sansui→Kaili→Langde Upper Village→Taijiang→Sansui→Zhenyuan→Zunyi→Huangguoshu Waterfall

Experiencing Miao Culture

Guiyang→Sansui→Kaili→Shibing→Zhenyuan→Rongjiang→Congjiang→Liping→Sanjiang

Places in Guizhou

Huangguoshu Waterfall

Western Guizhou · 0.5–1 day

Xu Xiake, the famous traveler and geographer, could not help but exclaim: “‘A pearl curtain that never rolls up, a silk ribbon hanging from distant peaks’ are not enough to describe its grandeur. There are waterfalls several times taller, but never one this broad and vast.” With its majestic, thundering momentum, Huangguoshu Falls was selected by the China National Geography magazine as one of China's six most beautiful waterfalls. However, due to a shortage of water, the spectacular sight of river water crashing down with tremendous force has become increasingly rare. Huangguoshu Falls stands 74 meters high and 81 meters wide, making it the largest waterfall in China and one of the most spectacular in the world. Hidden behind the falls, halfway up the cliff, is Water Curtain Cave, a marvel of nature. Inside the cave, the waterfall is close enough to touch, and its thrilling power is easy to imagine. Rhinoceros Pool is where the great waterfall lands; it is rarely calm, and sunlight through the spray creates rings of rainbows that dazzle the eye.

Dragon Palace Scenic Area

Western Guizhou · 3–4 hours

The Longgong area has the highest concentration of water and dry karst caves in the world. The central scenic area is dotted with more than 90 water and dry caves of all sizes, a feat recognized by Guinness World Records. Many more beautiful caves have yet to be developed. Thanks to its long cave passages, the tallest waterfall inside a cave, and extremely low natural radiation, the Dragon Palace is known as the “Three Bests of Chinese Caves.” Xuantang on the southern edge of the scenic area is celebrated as the “Three Wonders of Chinese Water,” renowned for its whirling waters, numerous short rivers, and the vast Buddhist hall inside the cave.

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