# Eastern Guizhou travel guide (贵州东线) Guizhou Province · Southwest, China · 7 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/guizhou/eastern-guizhou ## Quick itinerary - **Day 1:** Zhenyuan Ancient Town → Qinglong Cave → Tiexi Stream → Zhenyuan Ancient Town (overnight) - **Day 2:** Shanmu River Rafting → Wuyang River Three Gorges → Zhenyuan (overnight) - **Day 3:** Zhenyuan → Fanjingshan Mountain ## The feel of the place The main highlights of eastern Guizhou are the Wuyang River and the Fanjing Mountain Nature Reserve. The unique, timeless charm of its ancient towns, historic buildings perched on cliffs, and the Shamu River rafting, which combines fun with a touch of adventure, have made this route increasingly popular. The pristine Fanjing Mountain Nature Reserve lets you fully appreciate the majestic power of nature, with the chance to spot golden snub-nosed monkeys and the rare dove tree (Davidia involucrata). ### Preparation & Information ### Language Mandarin is widely spoken at scenic spots and in county towns. In some ethnic minority villages, however, the local language can be harder to understand. ### Climate & Best Time to Visit The annual average temperature is 17°C and annual rainfall is 1,200 mm, with a humid central subtropical climate. The best time to visit is May–October. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There Surrounded by mountains, the area relies mainly on railways and highways. ### Railway 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. ### Road 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. ### Wuyang River Scenery 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. ### Difficult Mountain Roads 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. - tip: Train K942 Guiyang–Wenzhou K942 departs Guiyang daily at 10:53 and can stop at Zhenyuan along the way. ### Local Transport 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. ## Eat & drink 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. - tip: Sour Flavours 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. ## Shopping 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. ## Where to stay 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. ## Things to see - **Wuyang River Three Gorges** (★★★★): Admission ¥130 (includes boat ticket); Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/wuyang-river-three-gorges - **Zhenyuan Ancient Town and Zhusheng Bridge** (★★★★): Admission Ancient town free; large cruise boat ¥80; Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/zhenyuan-ancient-town-and-zhusheng-bridge - **Qinglong Cave Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission ¥60; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qinglong-cave-scenic-area - **Tiexi Stream** (★★★★): Admission ¥50; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 2–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/tiexi-stream - **Shanmu River Rafting** (★★★★): Admission ¥205; Opening hours 9：30—16：00 — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shanmu-river-rafting - **Shiping Mountain** (★★★): Admission ¥30; Opening hours 8：30—17：00; Time needed 2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/shiping-mountain ## Day trips & beyond - **Fanjingshan Mountain** (★★★★): Admission East Gate in, East Gate out: ¥270 (includes entrance ticket, sightseeing bus and cable car); East Gate in, East Gate out: ¥180 (includes entrance ticket, sightseeing bus and cable car); East Gate in, West Gate out: ¥200 (includes entrance ticket, sightseeing bus and cable car); Time needed 0.5–1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/fanjingshan-mountain --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 493–501. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.