 The
land and the people of Guizhou are what has made the province on increasingly
attractive destination in Southwest China these days.
There is an old saying that Guizhou does not have "three feet of flat
land nor three consecutive days of sun, nor any family owning three
cents worth of silver". The first two conditions remain true to this
day and it is this natural beauty amidst varying weather conditions
that has worked to the province's advantage and changed the latter.
Tourism has recently taken off in a big way in Guizhou.
There are so many sights and scenes in Guizhou's spectacular natural
environment that it has earned the reputation as a "garden province".
Tapping its plentiful resources, Guizhou has developed a variety of
locations and scenic resorts, each having something unique to offer.
These include eight national scenic areas and two national forest
parks. In addition, the capital city of Guiyang, which has a year-round
spring climate and many sites of historic and cultural interest, is
surrounded by beautiful mountains, parks and lakes.
Towering mountains, plunging ravines and karst landforms always attract
multitudes of visitors. Since the province lies on the Yunnan-Guizhou
Plateau at altitudes ranging up to 2,900 metres above sea level and
most of its terrain is in topographical turmoil, there are plenty
of sights on offer. Over 87 percent of the province is covered by
mountains, the most imposing of which is Fanjing Mountain in the northeast.
 Flowing
through the jumble of tall mountains are more than 1,000 rivers, including
such ferocious ones as the Chishui, Wujiang, Qingshui, Hongshui and
Panjiang. These rivers and their tributaries have cleaved the mountains
into many gorges with awesome rapids and magnificent waterfalls. Huangguoshu
Waterfalls is the finest example of all in the province.
Nature has wrought another natural spectacle into the rock stratum
of Guizhou's land ¡ª lime-stone caves of unbelievable grace,
and formations that play tricks with the imagination. Countless natural
caves, such as Zhijin Cave, Dragon Palace and Nine-Dragon Cave, have
made the subterranean world of Guizhou a veritable beehive of immense
proportions.
The province enjoys a highland type of subtropical monsoon climate,
warm and moist, with neither a frigid winter nor a sweltering summer.
Most of the province averages an annual temperature of 15¡æ
and has an average precipitation between 1,000 and 1,400 millimetres.
The mountains and rivers of the Guizhou Plateau have also nurtured
a culture yet to be seen elsewhere. Guizhou's civilisation developed
along the former grand Zangke River Valley and dates back as far as
the Shang and Zhou dynasties (c.1600-221 B.C.). Legends about the
Guifang Tribe of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, and the Zangke and
Yelang kingdoms in the following years are now part of cultural attraction
of this province. The province has made it into recent history as
the location of a remarkable change. Zunyi was where the beleaguered
Red Army took a break from its Long March and where Mao Zedong consolidated
his leadership and changed the army's military tactics.
 The
fascinating customs of the 17 ethnic groups in Guizhou are a legacy
of the ancient culture of those ancient kingdoms and tribes. Although
66 percent of the province's population is Han, most of the Buoyeis,
Shuis and Gelaos are found in this province, which is also home to
the country's largest Miao and Dong communities. A relatively secluded
geographical environment resulting from high mountains and deep rivers
has made it possible for these ethnic minorities to preserve their
primitive folklore.
It is the history, culture and natural beauty that make Guizhou the
perfect holiday destination. |
