Guizhou Geography
Guizhou Province, Qian of Gui for short, is situated in the south-western part of China. The Province covers an area of over 170.000 square kilometres and has population of more than 36.58 million (2006). Guiyang is the capital of the Province. Guizhou occupies the eastern part of the Yungui Plateau, rising between the Sichuan Basin and Guangxi Basin. The Terrain of Guizhou gradually lowers down eastwards, its western and central part having an attitude of one to two thousand meters above sea level. The river valley area on the south-eastern fringe of the province has an altitude of around 500 meter above sea level. Guizhou has a rugged terrain, with numerous precipitous peaks and deep valleys, as well as extensive karsts formations, caves and underground rivers. Many date-shaped mini-basins scatter around the mountains.

   

The Dalou Mountains in the northern part of the province forms the borderline of Guizhou. The Wuling Mountains in the north-eastern part of the province abounds in biological resources and has been declared as a key natural preserves of China. The Wumeng Mountains in the west borders Yunnan Province. The Miaoling Mountains in the central part of the province is the watershed between the Changjiang River (Yangtze River) system and Pearl River system. The major rivers flowing through the province are the Wujiang River, the Chishuihe River, the Qingshui River, the Nanpan River (the boundary river between Guizhou and Guangxi), the Beipan River. These rivers have the common features of being wide and open upstream but narrow downstream. They have rich hydraulic resources with their rapid flows of water, shoals and falls.

Guizhou Climate
Guizhou has a humid monsoon climate of the subtropical zone, with neither severe winter nor hot summer. The average annual temperature of province is between 14ºC-16ºC (57 ºF -61 ºF). The average temperature of January, the coldest month, is between 4ºC-9ºC (39 ºF - 48ºF) and that of July, the warmest month, is between 22ºC-26ºC (72 ºF and 79 ºF). The annual average precipitation of Guizhou is between 900-1500mm. Most of the area in the province have long frost-free period, where two or three cropping system is practiced.

History of Guizhou Province
Back in the Shang Dynasty, Guizhou was part of Gui-Fang (16th century -11th century B.C). Druing the Xizhou Dynasty the Xizhou Dynasty (11th century-771 B.C), Guizhou was under the administration of Kingdoms of Jing and Chu. In the period of Spring and Autumn and Warring States (771-221 B.C), a number of tribal settlements emerged in Guizhou, the large ones among them being Yelang, Qielan , and so on. Druing the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C), Qianzhong, Xiang, Ba and Shu prefectures were established in Guizhou. In the Han Dynasty (206 B.C—220 A.D), Guizhou was under the separate and administration of Zangke Prefecture and Wuling Prefecture. Guizhou became Qianzhong Prefecture during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Buzheng Prefecture Administration was established in Guizhou in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Guizhou Province was set up in the region in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) which has remained unchanged till today.

Local Cuisine of Guizhou
Braised salamander and Eight Delicacies and Feast of Tianmahan Chicken are famous local dishes with high nutrition. Love Bean Curd Fruit and Bijie Stuffed Dumplings are popular refreshments with diners.

Tourists to Guizhou province of southwest China often first want to see Huangguoshu - Yellow Fruit Tree - Falls, one of the world's most spectacular.

Also popular are the caves of Long Gong - Dragon Palace - or the Zunyi meeting site where the Chinese Communist Party reached maturity in 1935. Other noted attractions include Buddhist mountain of Fanjing and rivers that have been creating canyons for millennia.

But scenery is only part of the experience - ethnic villages interspersed throughout add to the allure:

Yunshantun village at Anshun: Today's local villagers are descendants of fort soldiers under Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The fort is still there today, its door made from stone and its walls hard enough to repel attackers. Women of the village wear the silk belts, white leggings and embroidered boots with an eagle's head is vividly stitched on top.

Xijiang village on Leishan Mountain: One of the largest Miao villages in China, it has thousands of traditional houses. In the year of the tiger it celebrates the Guzang festival - just once every 13 years.

Zhaoxing village at Liping: Traditional Dong homes made from wood without a single nail can reach 25 m in height. Pictures drawn on interior walls depict people and scenery to tell the story of their culture. The village is divided into five sectors according to concepts - Ren (kindness), Yi (loyalty), Li (ritual), Zhi (wisdom) and Xing (credibility).

Stone village at Zhenning: People of the Bouyei minority make their homes from stone. From a distance the village looks like shining silver. On arrival, tourists often find Bouyei girls dyeing fabric along the valley.

Other sites include Longga village at Liuzhi, where a branch of Miao girls wear wood horns; Langde village at Leishan with its cobblestone roads; a Dong village called Xiaohuang at Congjiang, where troupes of singers from the local Dong minority perform their distinctive melodies; and Luoga village at Weining, where the Yi people make masks as they have for thousands of years.

(China Daily September 9, 2008)

 

People of the Miao ethnic group dance together to celebrate the beginning of the Chinese lunar New Year in Qingzhen City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 19, 2008. 

 

Huangguoshu Waterfall

Guizhou Minority Girls

 Guizhou Local Traditional House