Green Guiyang
by Joanne Lane
Every morning in Guiyang the Chinese get up to dance with fans, play with swords, climb mountains and take their pet birds for a walk. These activities are not something most westerners would take too seriously but half the city seems to disappear into parklands and hillsides for these daily exertions. And they certainly take it seriously. Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou Province in southern China and Qianling Park is where many of the city`s 3 million people spend their mornings. This park is located in the centre of the city and covers an area of 426 hectares. The park boats clear waters, green mountains, tranquil forests and old temples. There are plateaus for the dancing, mountain trails to climb, a man-made lake to swim in and caves to explore. Everywhere there is activity, even in the cold waters of the lake where only the masochistic take the plunge. From the top of the mountain you can get a birds-eye view over the whole city which makes the steep climb worth the effort. It costs 6 Yuan to enter the park but you can also get different passes. Bus routes 1 and 2 pass by here. Guiyang`s parks and forests account for almost 40 per cent of the city`s total land area. These dense forests, rich biological resources and beautiful natural scenery have made the city an ideal destination for ecotourism. The government is also doing much to expand on these forest areas by increasing them 2.4 per cent annually. The city has 1,300 species of plants (seven are on China`s priority list for protection) and 203 species of wild animals (ten are listed for protection). Basically it leads the country in per capita greenery. Most impressive. Other green areas in and around town include Huaxi Park (17km outside Guiyang), Guizhou Botanical Garden, Nanjiao Park, Forest Park, Tianhe Pool and Baihua Pool. The Nanjiao Park also known as the Underground Park, has a 600m underground tunnel with stone pillars, stalactites and stalagmites. It is just seven kilometres south of Guiyang. Baihua Pool, meaning hundred flowers, is 22km northwest of Guiyang with 110 isles in the water that are home to egrets, limestone caves and beautiful scenic spots. In terms of city sights the Jiaxiu Pavilion or Tower is regarded as the symbol of the city. It is located on the Aoji Rock on the Nanming River in the southern part of Guiyang. The tower is three storeys or 20 metres high with three carved eaves supported by stone pillars. The other thing to sample in Guiyang is the food. Local dishes and refreshments belong to the Sichuan cuisine characterized by spicy and pungent flavours. A lot of the names of the dishes do not translate into English but you can find things like eel, bean curd, rice noodles, fried birds, dog, pig intestines and blood sausage. Actually the food is very good and if you know what you are eating, you might like to avoid the dog, you`ll see why the Chinese and westerners rave about the cuisine. Confucius said the wise delight in water, but the humane delight in mountains. Certainly Guiyang would satisfy all types of people. OTHER THINGS TO DO
About three hours west of Guiyang is the Huangguoshu waterfall one of the biggest falls in china at 316 feet high and 346 feet wide. Behind the waterfall is a cave where you can stand to watch the water fall. There are 18 smaller falls in this area and 30 karst caves. HOW TO GET THERE
Guiyang is connected by domestic flights to all Chinese centres. If you`re flying here internationally the cheapest way to arrive is to get to Hong Kong and take the ferry across to Shenzhen on the Chinese mainland. From here flights leave for domestic points around the country and are cheaper than the connections out of Hong Kong. There are transit services from Hong Kong airport to Shenzhen that make the journey easier. BOOK HERE |
