Southern Guizhou travel guide
贵州南线
Southern Guizhou travel guide with a day by day itinerary, 6 places with tickets and opening hours, where to eat and stay, and how to get there.
6 places · In the guidebook: pages 488–493
Southern Guizhou, Guizhou Province · AI illustration for China Trip
Quick itinerary
Southern Guizhou in 3 days
- Day 1
- Libo County→
- Shuichunhe Canyon→
- Xiaoqikong→
- Daqikong→
- Libo County (overnight)
- Day 2
- Libo County→
- Maolan Karst Primeval Forest
- Day 3
- Libo County→
- Pingtang China Sky Eye (FAST)
The feel of the place
Here you will find the Maolan Karst forest, a primeval ecosystem unmatched anywhere else at the same latitude in the world. It is a perfect blend of rugged, varied karst landscapes and a fresh, graceful forest world. The saying “Forest above, forest below in the caves, trees growing on rock, roots coiled in the cliffs” aptly describes the Zhangjiang scenic area of Libo. In Sandu, visitors can experience the long history of the Shui ethnic villages.
Things to see
Doupeng Mountain
Doupeng Mountain is the primeval forest closest to a city in China. The mountain features peaks, ridges, canyons, caves, streams and waterfalls. Nearly 100 hectares of ancient primeval forest can be found here, where tree roots grow entirely within rock crevices. The forest is full of extraordinary scenes, such as trees embracing rocks, rocks embracing trees, and trees forming natural bridges.
2–4 hours · ¥50
Sixty-Eight-Step Waterfall
A marvel in the deep mountains of southeastern Guizhou. Along an uneven riverbed, 68 cascades and falls tumble down in tiers, shrouded in mist, creating a truly spectacular sight. Waterfalls and cascades so numerous and so densely packed are rare indeed.
1 hour · Included in the Xiaoqikong Scenic Area ticket
Xiaoqikong Scenic Area
The scenic area takes its name from Xiaoqikong Bridge, built during the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty over the Xiangshui River. Its landscape bears a certain resemblance to Jiuzhaigou, and the colour of its water is no less stunning. The parts most evocative of Jiuzhaigou's charm are Wolong Pool and the Yeya Pond (Wild Duck Pond) in Guibei Mountain Forest Park.
4–6 hours · ¥130
Daqikong Scenic Area
Somewhat reminiscent of Zhangjiajie's Jinbian Stream, but wilder and more primal. The Tianshengqiao Bridge, known as the ‘Oriental Arc de Triomphe’, is a long, narrow natural archway formed through a mountain, with rushing rapids flowing beneath it, making for an imposing sight. Kongbu Gorge and Fengshen Cave are also highly distinctive.
2–3 hours · Included in the Xiaoqikong ticket
Maolan National Nature Reserve
The discovery of Maolan's karst forest changed the world's view of karst from dull grey to green, earning it the name ‘the emerald on the belt of the Earth’. This is China's largest subtropical primeval forest, home to many rare tree species and wild animals. Hiking through the entire forest takes three days. There are no local places to eat or stay, so visitors must bring their own food, sleeping bags and tents.
¥40
FAST Science Education Base (China Sky Eye)
China's Sky Eye is the world's largest single-dish radio telescope. Built within a natural, round lava sinkhole, it forms a striking blend of the natural and the man-made. There are two viewing platforms, No. 1 and No. 2, from which you can look down closely on the full view of China's Sky Eye.
4–5 hours · ¥140 (admission + shuttle bus + astronomy experience hall + planetarium + insurance)
Getting there & around
By rail
Trains from Guiyang bound for Zhanjiang, Nanning and Liuzhou all stop at Duyun, from where you can continue by bus to Xiaoqikong. Frequent high-speed trains run daily from Guiyang to Duyun, the capital of the Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in about 40 minutes.
By road
Take a bus from Guiyang to Xinzhai, alighting at Mawei Xia (about 3.5 hours), then transfer to a bus to Xiaoqikong, a journey of about 1.5 hours.
The drive from Xiaoqikong to Daqikong takes about 30 minutes. From Daqikong to Libo takes about 2 hours, and from Libo you continue to the Zhangjiang River.
Duyun Qichezhan (都匀汽车站, Duyun Bus Station)
By road- Address:
- Jianjiang North Road, Duyun City
- Phone:
- 0854-8330231
- Getting there:
- Mainly serves Guiyang, Kaili, Libo, Sandu and other destinations within the prefecture. It is Duyun's main bus station.
Duyun Nan Zhan (都匀南站, Duyun South Station)
By road- Address:
- No. 103 Jianjiang South Road, Duyun City
- Phone:
- 0854-8365001
Eat & drink
Libo County is one of the country's designated hygienic counties. It has a well-planned layout and wide streets, and its main street is brilliantly lit in the evening. The barbecue here is outstanding: almost the entire snack street is made up of barbecue stalls, each table with its own charcoal brazier and grill, so you grill your own food and eat it on the spot. It is a must-try, and very inexpensive.
Accommodation on the southern route
The best-equipped hotel in Libo County is the Sunshine Hotel (阳光大酒店). Everything else is roughly guesthouse-level. There is also accommodation inside Xiaoqikong scenic area, but its standard is basic.
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 488–493. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version