Discover the best places in Guiyang

Guiyang

Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou Province in southwest China, situated on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau amid a distinctive geological landscape. The city offers a delightful blend of tradition and modernity, and is celebrated for its focus on ecology; it ranks among the top Chinese cities for air quality. Due to its temperate year-round climate, Guiyang has earned a reputation as one of China’s most comfortable summer destinations.

Travellers will find Guiyang to be an ideal base for exploring the wider region’s dramatic natural landscapes, from towering mountains and limestone caves to winding rivers, rolling karst hills and cascading waterfalls. Extensive forests blanket much of the surrounding countryside, creating opportunities for hiking, photography and scenic drives. To the south of the city, the Huaxi National Urban Wetland Park provides tranquil walking trails, passing lakes and wetlands that support a wide variety of birdlife.

The city’s abundant parks and wooded hills ensure that nature is never far away. Spend an afternoon at Qianling Mountain Park, with awe-inspiring hilltop views, tea gardens and markets with local food and crafts. One of the park’s highlights is its population of wild macaques, which roam freely and are well accustomed to people. In the centre sits Jiaxiu Pavilion, first built during the Ming Dynasty to honour the first scholar of the time, and is now an iconic symbol of the city. It stands over the Nanming river on a rock said to resemble a legendary giant turtle. Guiyang also features an impressive collection of museums devoted to art, history, culture, science and technology.

Guiyang’s cultural identity has been shaped by many ethnic communities, particularly the Miao and Buyi peoples alongside the Han majority. Their traditions remain through colourful festivals, embroidered textiles, silver jewellery and distinctive styles of music and dance. Buddhism and Daoism have long influenced the region, with Hongfu Temple continuing to attract worshippers and visitors alike. Traditional architecture can be found in nearby villages, where timber stilt houses reflect centuries of adaptation to the mountainous terrain.

The local cuisine is renowned for its bold flavours, making generous use of chilli, garlic and sour ingredients. Signature dishes include sour fish soup, spicy rice noodles and bean hotpot, which has a soup of pinto beans, bacon and onions. After sunset, street food is very popular, with grilled fish, meat and vegetables on offer throughout the night. More adventurous eaters can try whole grilled marrow bones, which are cracked open and served with a straw to sip the rich marrow inside.

Come to Guiyang to experience the understated, natural splendour of this mountainous region of China’s southwest.