Eastern Guizhou travel guide

Surrounded by mountains, the area relies mainly on railways and highways.

The Xiangqian Railway runs through the scenic area. Several trains, including services from Guiyang toward Changsha, Guiyang to Beijing, and Guiyang to Huaihua, stop at Zhenyuan and Yuping.

The Xiangqian Highway runs from Guiyang through Huangping, Shibing and Zhenyuan to Yuping. From Yuping, there are buses and minibuses to Tongren, so getting around is convenient. Long-distance coaches also run from Guiyang to Yinjiang.

The scenery along the Wuyang River is fairly ordinary, but the environment is very well protected. Water birds can be seen on the river, the water is clear, and little-known Miao villages nestle in the deep mountains on both banks.

Guizhou has many mountain roads, and travel is winding and slow: a 100-km mountain route typically takes about 3 hours. Breakdowns and flat tyres are common along the way, so it is advisable to ride in a vehicle in good condition. There are almost no toll booths, so transport costs are relatively low; even between counties, most fares are under ¥10.

Guiyang–Wenzhou K942 departs Guiyang daily at 10:53 and can stop at Zhenyuan along the way.

Minibuses run between the scenic spots and are convenient.

In Zhenyuan county town, three-wheeled motorcycle taxis are the main form of transport, costing ¥2–3 per person within town and ¥3–5 to Qinglong Cave outside town.

Locals love sour soup, and sour soup fish is the most famous dish. Other local specialties include pickled fish, bracken cakes (jueba), special cured bacon and jar-braised pork.

Qiandongnan is the home of “sour eating,” and sour foods are found everywhere, loved by people of all ages. Almost every household keeps jars for sour water, vinegar water, pickled vegetables, pickled fish and pickled meat. There are sayings about sour foods, such as “pickle vegetables in March, fish in August, and cure meat in the first lunar month,” and “as long as the jar is sealed, the vegetables won't spoil.” Local specialties include Dong-style pickled fish, Zhenyuan dao cai (pickled vegetables), Kaili sour soup fish, Xiasi dog meat, Xiasi sour soup fish, lemongrass-grilled fish, Chong'an River sour soup fish, Dong-style oil tea, shefan, Congjiang fragrant pork, Sandui duck, Rongjiang fragrant lamb, dong guo, Dong-style pork hip, Dong-style sheep tripe and cattle tripe.

Zhenyuan county town has no high-end hotels, though accommodation is being improved. The best privately run hotel is Tenglong Hotel, whose staff service is close to five-star standard. Every scenic spot has accommodation, usually at guesthouse level.

Main local specialties include raw lacquer, three-seven (sanqi), wood ear and shiitake mushrooms, gastrodia (tianma), tung oil seeds and aged dao cai pickles. Ethnic costumes and exquisite silver ornaments are also available, along with delicate, rustic folk crafts such as batik, mud whistles, straw weaving and bamboo weaving.