The capital of Guizhou province, Guiyang is a smart, youthful city with plenty of historical appeal, spicy local cuisine and easy access to the tourist attractions of southwestern China.
Guizhou cuisine features spicy hotpots, rice pancakes with pickles, and bubbling hot beef noodles, and is also the global center for Maotai liquor production.
Historical highlights include the Hongfu Temple, located in the north of Guiyang, and the Jiaxiu Pavilion, built in 1598 and surrounded by markets and rolling gardens.
Just outside Guiyang you'll find Tianhetan, a complex of flooded caves, rivers, and waterfalls. Take a boat ride through some of Guizhou's most stunning scenery.
Guiyang is a center for Anshun Batik - featuring gorgeous fabric designs inspired by nature. You'll find them for sale all over the city.
Located 100 miles from Guiyang, these falls are an incredible sight, with their 240-foot plunge and glittering, rainbow-hued pools.
The food in Guizhou is usually spicy and based around soups, pancakes, and stews. Some of the best places to try it include the street vendors at Hequn Lu, as well as restaurants like Siheyuan and Huaxi Wangji Beef Noodle. Expect to pay ¥40-60 for a good meal.
Spring and fall are the best times to visit, when the blossom or leaf fall is at its most beautiful, the weather is mild, and tourist season hasn't really begun.
Guiyang Airport (KWE) has good connections to Beijing and Shanghai. The airport bus costs ¥10, while taxis will charge around ¥60.
Trains run into Guiyang from Beijing via Chongqing (although it's a 24-hour journey).
From Chengdu or Chongqing, take the G210. From Shanghai, take the G50, then the G56, before taking the G75 at Zunyi.
Intercity buses run into Guiyang's Jinyang neighborhood from all over southern China.
Some of the finest upscale hotels in Guiyang include the Novotel Guiyang Downtown, the Hotel Pullman, and the Renaissance Guiyang Hotel, which is slightly outside the center.
Zhonghua Lu - a bustling shopping street, Zhonghua Lu is lined with department stores, so if you need to pick up anything, it's the place to go.
Qingyan - located in southern Guiyang, Qingyan is famous for its Ming-era "ancient town", with its temples, walls, and street markets.
Hequn Lu - Hequn Lu is Guiyang's street food center, with hotpots, beef noodles, and rice pancakes all available, day and night.
Buses run all over the Guiyang area and charge between ¥1 and ¥2.
The first two miles or so will cost ¥8, and after that taxis charge ¥2.50 per mile, so it's not an expensive way to get around.
Car rental businesses in town include Chenghu Automobile Leasing and Hongteng, and prices can dip to ¥60 per day.
Zhonghua Lu is the main place to visit if you need a standard department store, but the soul of Guiyang's retail scene is Yan'an Lu, where you'll find batik fabrics, liquor, silver jewelry, and traditional masks.
Supermarkets in town include Xingye and Sunflower, where 12 eggs will cost around ¥8.