Guiyang travel guide

Guiyang is an inland city surrounded by mountains, so the main ways to get in and out are by air, rail and road.

Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport is located on the eastern outskirts of Guiyang, just 10 km from the city centre. It has flights to major cities across China, as well as to Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan, and to international destinations such as Bangkok in Thailand and Seoul in South Korea.

Guiyang Railway Station is at 119 Zunyi Road. Direct trains run between Guiyang and Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Zhanjiang and Zunyi. Within the province, tourist trains have also been launched: Guiyang → Liupanshui (Huangguoshu), Guiyang → Yuping (Fanjingshan) and Guiyang → Duyun (Libo Xiaoqikong). Passenger trains also run between Guiyang and Tongzi, Kaili and Duyun.

The Guiyang–Tongren Expressway is now open along its full length, so access in and out is very convenient. From Guiyang, direct coaches run to most places in the province.

Guiyang has more than 30 urban bus routes, operating from 6:00 until late at night, with fares of ¥1–3. There are more than 20 suburban routes, running from 6:30 to 19:00, with a few lines running until 21:00. Several routes also serve the outskirts of the city, so getting around is quite convenient.

Lines 1, 2 and 3 are already built and in operation.

Although Guizhou has no distinct cuisine of its own, its food absorbs influences from many regions. Whatever cuisine arrives in Guiyang takes on a "Guiyang character". Overall, the flavours are fairly close to Sichuan and Hunan cuisine, though the specific numbing and spicy notes differ.

Eating, drinking and having fun often go hand in hand, so there is no need to worry about food.

Guiyang's cuisine is known for its "numbing" (má) and "spicy" (là) character. The two are clearly distinguished in Guiyang, and they use different ingredients. Numbing flavour comes from a blend of several spices, while spiciness is mainly extracted from chilli. Savouring the numbing and spicy flavours of Guizhou while sipping a little local Maotai is truly a pleasure.

The best is sour soup fish, with Jiang Huang fish being the finest.

1. The Yanglang chicken on Caijia Street is good, but Tangji Restaurant stands out a little.

2. Though it is the supreme among spicy dishes, if your stomach is delicate, think twice. Of course, visiting Guizhou without a proper taste of spiciness is hard to justify. In fact, you may not feel the heat at first; it builds the more you eat, and the hotter it gets, the more you crave it.

3. Chicken blood can be eaten raw or cooked in hotpot; be sure to tell the restaurant in advance.

Guiyang's local snacks are wonderfully varied, with over 100 traditional varieties. Examples include Huaxi Wang's beef noodles, Changwang noodles, liangfen (cold jelly), wan'er gao, Lei family tofu yuanzi, silk-wrapped rolls, posu bao (crispy buns), lotus leaf ciba, huang ba, yangyu ba ba, lian'ai tofu...

Ordering a small dish of pickles with your Changwang noodles makes them taste even better; the restaurant provides it free of charge.

Diners concentrate at these places, so go early to grab a seat, ideally with a few companions. Otherwise, you may find yourself eating with five or six people standing behind you waiting for a seat, which is hard to ignore.

Snack stalls line the street, much like those on Hezuo Qun Road.

1. When shopping at night markets, check items carefully. Do not let the joy of low prices cloud your judgement; you may easily end up with defective goods.

2. Even if you don't buy anything, strolling the streets to admire the many beautiful women is a feast for the eyes.

Be especially careful when going to bars. Avoid small or secluded venues where possible. Guiyang's police respond quickly, so call 110 if you run into any trouble.

Guiyang has plenty of good tea houses. Besides Yangming Shrine and Jinshuilou Tower, there are Jiaxiu Tower, Wenchang Pavilion, Dade School, Sanyuan Palace and Qianming Temple. Wandering around the city, you will find many good places to brew a pot of tea, whether for conversation or a game of chess.

CC PARK A commercial district often called the “Venice of Guiyang.” White arcades and columns, and a ceiling of deep blue sky and white clouds, make it look almost exactly like Venice!

Guiyang offers better accommodation than most other parts of the province, with a larger number of star-rated hotels. However, not all of them live up to their star ratings.

Budget guesthouses and privately run inns cluster around the railway station and long-distance bus station. They are cheap, but safety at these private inns cannot be guaranteed. Large-scale redevelopment of the old city is also steadily reducing the number of such small hotels and guesthouses.

In general, you cannot travel from central Guiyang to the nearby scenic spots and return the same day. Accommodation within the scenic areas is relatively basic, mostly guesthouses. It is recommended that you stay in nearby small and medium-sized towns, where conditions are likely to be better.

An artist uses cold wax batik to paint floral patterns on white silk canvas stretched over a wooden frame.

Guiyang's commercial center is concentrated on Zhonghua Road, especially Zhonghua Middle Road and Zhonghua South Road, the busiest stretch in the city. Large and medium-sized department stores, along with specialty shops selling clothing, shoes and jewelry, line the street, offering a dazzling array of choices.

Guiyang has many crafts and local specialties with distinctive ethnic character. Among the most famous are dried beef, chili peppers, wooden art pieces, medicinal herbs, Miao silver and totem masks. Most of these specialty shops are concentrated along Beijing Road.

Embroidery and cut-thread work are traditional ethnic crafts of Guiyang. Shops on Beijing Road carry many handmade embroidered pieces as well as a large number of batik products, many sourced from places such as Anshun. Prices range from a few yuan to several hundred yuan. Be sure to bargain when shopping.

Weekends are the traditional market days at the Flower and Bird Market. It is crowded, but the selection is richer than on weekdays, and identical items are much cheaper than elsewhere. However, fossilized sea lilies and antique wooden doors and windows are hard to bargain down. If you're lucky, you can find good batik and embroidery at reasonable prices. Overall, it offers better value than the specialty Guizhou craft shops in the city center, so visitors wanting Guizhou specialties should not miss it.

Guiyang has a lively nightlife, so there is no need to worry about nights being dull when you visit.

For Guiyang residents, night markets are the main evening activity. From 18:30 onward, as long as it is not pouring with rain, market stalls gradually set up along the pavements of the main streets. The most prominent are the food night market on Hequn Road and the department store night market on Yan'an Middle Road.

Some people say Guiyang's nightlife starts at 21:00. The city has more than ten cinemas, as well as many bowling alleys, entertainment centres, nightclubs, bars and cafés, all popular with young people. Most bars are concentrated around Shaanxi Road, Hequn Road, Beijing Road and the South Gate area.

Muse The décor here has real style, the atmosphere is good, and it is a great place for young people to unwind.

Tea houses have become popular in recent years. Most have tranquil settings, and in addition to fragrant tea, many offer folk performances. The most famous is undoubtedly Yangming Shrine at the foot of Fufeng Hill.