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GoGuizhou.com is inspired by the amazing people we have met and places we have been since coming here and we wish to pass on that gift so you can get the most out of your visit in Guizhou.

Questions? Comments? Want to help make the site? EMAIL US! : emyxter@gmail.com
(from googuizhou.weebly.com/index.html )

Guiyang History

The region making up modern day Guiyang has an ancient history spanning thousands of years. During the Epoch of the Warring states the region was the middle zone between the Chu Qian, and it was subordinate to the mysterious Yelang Kingdom, a society which was established by local ethnic groups and was believed to be a wealthy and prosperous kingdom ecomomically and culturally until it suddenly disappeared in 26 BC. After the disappearence of the Yelang Kingdom, the area became subordinate to the Zangke Prefucture during the Han Dynasties, and in the periods of the Tang Dynasties the area was under the control of the Ju Autonomus Prefuncture. During the Song Dynasty the area including and encomapassing modern day Guiyang was named Guizhou.

The old city of Guiyang was constructed during the Yuan Dynasty (which was founded by Kublai Khan and the Mongols) in 1283 AD, and was originally named Shunyuan, meaning “obeying the Yuan.” The Mongols made Guiyang the seat of an army and a “pacification zone”. Around this period local Chinese began to settle the area.

During the Qing and Ming dynasties the city was established as an administrative center and renamed Guiyang. It became the capital of Guizhou province in 1913. Locally Guiyang beacme an important economic center, with two merhant communitied inhabiting the city. These were the Sichuanese people who primarily lived in the northern section of the city, and the peoples of Guangdong, Hunan, and Guangxi, who dominated the southern part of Guiyang. Despite Guiyang’s economic importance to Guizhou province, the predominate perception of the city was that it was merely the capital city of one of China’s poorest and least developed provinces.

During the Chinese war between the Communist forces and the Kuo Ming Tang, the leader of the Kuo MangTing forces, Chinag Kai Shek, flew to Guiyang and made it his base of operations agaist Mao Zedong, in an effort to prevent comunist forces from capturing the city. Mao and his Red forces fled East and the city was left undistrubed until 1939 when it was bombed by Japanese forces. As a result of these attacks approximately a third of “old” Guiyang was destroyed.

During World War II Guiyang became the center of Nationalist Activities against invading Japanese forces and many refugees from the eastern part of China sought refuge. As a result, bustling economic and social activity emerged and Guiyang’s rapid development was underway. During the war roads and other vital infrastructure was built which linked Guiyang to Yunan and Chongqing. Furthermore, construction began on a railway between Guiyang and Liuzhou, Guangxi, and this construction was accelerated in 1949. This railway was completed in 1959, and subsequently connected Guiyang to Chongqing in the north, Kunming in the west, and Changsha in the east. In the decades following the completein of this ambitious project Guiyang has continued to develop at a rapid pace, and today the city is an economic hub of Guizhou province.
(from googuizhou.weebly.com/history1.html )

Guiyang Government Services
Guiyang has more experience than anywhere else in Guizhou dealing with foreigners, but like all places in the world, it can sometimes be a headache to work with these bureaucratic institutions. But when you must, here is the information you need.
Visa Office
Guiyang Gong’anJu ChuRu JingJieDail Da Ting
贵阳公安局出入境接大厅
Address: DaYing Lu 5 hao 大营路 5 号 Phone: 679-7907
Bus Stop: Guiyang RiBaoShe 贵阳日报社

Come prepared with photos, passport, and the necessary school or business papers for your particular visa. You may also need to bring the original lodging registration form from the police station. Allow five days for them to process your visa. Most of the time the officers can speak English, but it is also most helpful to go with a business or educational associate. Fesco Foreign Enterprise Service
GuiyangShi WaiGuo QiYe FuWu Zong GongSi
贵阳市外国企业服务总公司
Address: ShenQi Lu 8 Hao JingXie Da sha 20 Lou 2006 Shi
神奇路8号经协大厦 20 楼 2006 室
Phone: 580-6749 Web: www.gyfesco.com
Bus Stop: ShenQiLu 神奇路

This office can help you get the paperwork done to validate a foreign business. The price isn’t cheap but they deal with most of the paperwork and run around so you don’t have to. A new business is over 8,000 yuan and 3,000 for a representative office.
Health Certificate Office
GuiZhouSheng ChuRu Jing JianYanJian YiJu
贵州省出入境检验检疫局
Address: Beijing Lu 2 Hao 北京路 2 号 Phone: 678-1936
Bus Stop: GuiYangRiBaoShe or GuiYi 贵阳日报社 or 贵医

In order to get a visa anywhere in china one must pass the arcane health examination. The test will cost over 300 yuan. The tests are said not to be terrible, but are only offered in the mornings (they prefer that you not eat breakfast before you come). Plan for about four days before you will get all the paperwork back. Bring your passport and two large size visa photos. Labor Department
ZhongHua RenMin ZongHeGuo LaoDong HeSheHui
中华人民共和国劳动和社会

Address: BaoZheng Zhang Bu, HuaGuoYuan GuiZhuDaSha 15 Lou 1506 Shi, 保证障部花果园贵祝大厦 15楼 1506室 Phone: 536-5641
Bus Stop: HuaGuoYuan 花果园

Once the government has approved your business, the labor department will validate your business, give you a work ID and issue the papers you need for your work visa.
(from googuizhou.weebly.com/visa–govt-services.html )

Shopping
If there is one thing you can do well in Guiyang it is shop. Every street, alleyway, sidewalk and crossing-way has something to buy. From high-end fashion to knock-off Cell Phones this is your one stop guide for shopping in Guiyang.
Supermarkets

Guiyang has a wide array of supermarkets from international chains to local Chinese markets.

Best Supermarkets in Guiyang
1. Carefore
2. Beijing Hualian
3. Xingli Department Stores supermarket
4. WalMart

Best Mall/Department Stores

1. Floral Plaza
2. Hunter Plaza
3. Hongsomething chang
4. xingli
5.

Best Street Markets in Guiyang
1. Bird and Flower Market
2. Flower Market
(from googuizhou.weebly.com/shopping.html )

Guiyang Markets
Guiyang has an incredible amount of Markets in which you can find almost anything you want. Here is your guide to find the best ones.
Bird and Flower Market 花鸟市场

The Bird and Flower market is the best market in town if you want some Chinese crafts, tea, arts, antiques as well as if you want to find a cute new pet for your home here. Although every large city in China has a Bird and Flower Market, Guiyang’s is much different as the low volume of foreign tourists who come every year means the market has retained the local feel that it should have. Aside from the shops the Bird and Flower Market also has some of the best local food in town. Any visit to Guiyang would not be complete without a visit to he Bird and Flower Market. For more information click “Bird and Flower Market”

Cheese Street

Located in-between ZhuCheng Square and the train station, in a seemingly hidden street “Cheese Street” is a gold mine for local foreigners. The area is a Chinese wholesale market for the city, but past all the Chinese goods is a large area of foreign spices, ingredients and cheeses that are difficult to find in the rest of the city.

Shi Xi Lu 市西路

Shi Xi Lu is Guiyang’s largest and busiest wholesale market. The market goes from Daxi Men all the way to the old bus station. The place is almost always full, making it an exciting trip for a first timer but could be a little bit of a headache going through all the traffic all the time. Inside you will find everything from fake clothing, household items, rugs, shoes, art, junk, strange things, and just about anything else under the sun. The place is very crowded so watch out for your belongings, but if you want an truly Chinese shopping experience (Remember when bargaining start low! they are going to start really high), or if you need to find something that’s hard to get, go to ShiXiLu.
(from googuizhou.weebly.com/chinese-markets.html)

Getting Money in Guiyang

ATM’s are incredibly widespread in China. Almost every bank has an ATM with English language screen and accepts international debit cards. The Chinese bank will deduct a small service fee from it and your bank at home will also charge an international exchange rate fee, depending on the bank this fee is between 2-4%.

China Construction bank has a partnership with Bank of America. If your debit card is through bank of America, you can use this bank without a fee.

Creating a Chinese Bank Account

If you come to Guizhou for work or long term studying it is possible for you to open a Chinese bank account. Most often the institution who hires you can help you do the paper work. Guiyang has no English speaking bank tellers, so bring a Chinese friend and your passport with a long-term visa and you can create an account in one day. If you have a Chinese debit card, using another bank’s ATM has only a 2 yuan sir charge.
(from googuizhou.weebly.com/services.html )

Longdongbao airport (贵阳龙洞堡国际机场)

Guiyang’s airport (KWE) was refurbished a few years ago and is one of the most convenient airports in China. Because of its small size lines are usually short, security is fast and the restaurants and food stands are inexpensive. Everyday there are over 100 domestic arrivals and departures to main cities in China such as Chengdu, Kunming, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. (full departure/arrival list) (Full list of airlines) There are a few once a week trips to popular international locations such as Hong Kong, Macao and Bangkok but they are not cheap.

International flights – If you wish to go to SE Asia your best bet from Guizhou is to use Air Asia out of Chengdu or China Southern out of Kunming. If you want to go international to the West or the Philippines you are best to fly from Guiyang to Guangzhou, Shanghai or Beijing. One can usually get a one way ticket to Guangzhou for under 500 yuan ($80) on China Southern and once in Guangzhou, the Guangzhou airport typically has cheaper flights to America than Beijing or Shanghai.

Getting to City Center – To enter the city from the airport one can either take a taxi or the airport shuttle bus. Taxis can be found outside of the front door in the taxi line, during the day you can usually get a metered taxi but at night one must negoitate. You should not have to pay more than 30-50 yuan to get into the city center. The shuttle bus (10 yuan) runs from the morning to the night and leaves whenever it is full (every 15-30 minutes). The last stop for the shuttle bus is the train station near the city center.

Getting to the Airport – To get to the airport one can find the shuttle bus outside the train station that leaves about every 15 minutes or take a taxi (tell the driver ji chang 飞机场).
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/plane.html )

Guiyang Train Station (贵阳火车站)

Guiyang’s train station is located near the heart of the city. As the station is SW China’s main hub, everyday there are about 100 trains that go to hundreds of cities in the area and all around China. (full list of Guiyang departures) Guiyang is a major stop that connects the east to Kunming (12 hours, about 130 yuan hard sleeper), the west to Guangzhou (30 hours, about 350 yuan hard sleeper) and the North to Chengdu (16 hours 170 yuan hard sleeper) and Chongqing (8 hours 100 yuan hard sleeper). There are no direct trains from Guiyang to Guilin but you can get to Hunan through Kaili. There is even a direct train from Guiyang to the island Hainan that transports you by boat (sleeper 300 yuan).

Buying a Ticket

To buy a ticket one must be able to speak basic Chinese, come pre-prepaired with your written itinerary or use one of the ticket machines at the train station. You can buy a ticket at the train station starting 10 days prior to your departure.

Throughout the city there are also small ticket booths where you can buy tickets for an extra 5 yuan. The most prominent one is located inside the Postal Savings bank across the street from Pizza Hut in Peng Shui Che.
Getting into Town
Bus – Upon entering the city you can either take a public bus or a taxi. Across the street from the train station you will see many buses lined up. Bus 1 and 2 will take you to the center of the city.

Taxi – After the buses near the train station hotel there is a line for metered taxis. This line will work for you during the day but at night taxis can be more difficult.

That being said taxis can be difficult to get, especially if you want a meter at night. Beware if you are foreign taxi drivers will try to overcharge you. A metered taxi in Guiyang starts at 8 yuan and goes up after you reach 2 km. If you can get a taxi to go to where you need to go for 10-15 yuan take it. ( from googuizhou.weebly.com/train.html )

Guiyang Buses

Public Buses in Guiyang are cheap and extensive allow you to get to any part of the city all day long. But with larges amounts of people using them and Guiyang’s infamous traffic, they can sometimes be a pain to use, especially if you cannot get a seat. The most promient routes are the 1 and 2. They use double decker buses and run from the Train station to city center. The 1 via ZunYi RD (Faster) and the 2 via HeBin Park (longer but goes to other major locations)

Below is a list of all the bus routes and bus stops. You may click on the number to see where the bus goes, for how long and what to do/see at each stop. NOTE: AS WITH GUIZHOU, BUS ROUTES CHANGE RAPIDLY!!! THIS IS A GOOD GUIDE, BUT FOR PRACTICAL REASONS WILL NOT ALWAYS BE CORRECT

Bus Routes
1 Double-Decker – 2 Double-Decker – 3 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 11 – 17 – 19 – 20 – 24 – 26 – 28 – 29 – 30 – 31 – 36 – 39 – 43 – 45 – 48 – 54 – 55 – 56 – 58 – 60 – 61 – 63 – 65 – 67 – 68 – 73 -74 – 203 – 241 – 242 – 253 – k29

Bus Stops
喷水池 – PenShuiChi – Is the city center has: Pizza Hut, Createa,Grandma’s Kitchen, Parkson, Flower Plaza, Japanese Ramen, Sunning,KFC, Dicos and more.
1. 次南门 – CiNan Men – Provincial Science an Technology Museum
2. 大十字 – DaShiZi – Spaceship intersection, KFC, Parkson, Top-Spinning Park, Wholesale Snack and Liquor Market
3. 大西门 – DaXiMen – Computer City, ShiXiLu Market, KFC
4. 大营坡 – DaYingPo –
5. 东门 – DongMen
6. 贵大 – GuiDa – Guizhou University, Huaxi
7. 贵医 – GuiYi – Medical College Hospital, Ramada Plaza, Visa Office, Health Certificate Office
8. 贵州日报社 – Guizhou RiBaoShe – Visa Office, Health Certificate, Ramada Plaza
9. 河滨公园 – Hebin GongYuan – Hebin Park, Hebin Park Bus Station, Dicos
10. 和平路 – HePing Lu – North Catholic Church
11. 花果园 – HuaGuo Yuan – Work Permit Office
12. 火车站 – HuoCheZhan – Train Station, Gym, Spa, Forest City Inn, Train Station Muslim, Wall Mart
13. 花溪 – HuaXi – Huaxi Park, Guizhou University,
15. 甲秀楼 – JiaXiaLou – Jiaxiu Lou Tower, Xingli Department Store / Supermarket, Toys R’ Us, KFC, Japanese Ramin,
16. 机场路口 – JiChang LuKou – Airport, KFC
17. 纪念塔 – JiNian Ta – Guiyang Grand Theatre
18. 黔灵公园 – QianLing GongYuan – QianLing Park, Howard Johnson Hotel and Buffet
19. 黔灵西路口 – QianLing Xi LuKou – Beijing JiaoZi, Protestant Church,
20. 沙冲路口 – ShaChong LuKou – Train Station WalMart
21. 陕西路 – XiaXiLu –
六广门 – LiuGuangMen – Leather and Pottery Story, Gym,
22. 省府路口 – ShengFu LuKou – Alcohol Market, Beijing Hualian, XiaoShi Zi Movie Theatre
23. 省医 – ShengYi – Provincial Hosp
24. 神奇路 – ShenQi Lu
25. 师大 – ShiDa
26. 天河潭 – TianHe Tan
27. 金阳客车站 – JinYang KeCheZhan
28. 体育馆 – TiYu Guan
29. 下合群路 – XiaheQun Lu
30. 小十字 – Xiao ShiZi
31. 油炸街 – YouZhaJie
32. 新路口 – Xinlu Kou
33. 阳明祠 – YangMing Ci
34. 优点大楼 – YouDian Da Lou
35. 云岩广场 – YunYan GuangChang
36. 紫林庵 – Zi Lin’An
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/transit-bus.html)

Taxi

Taxi- Taxis in Guiyang during the day start at 8 yuan and at night start at 10 yuan for the first 2 km and increase by 2 yuan for every 1km after that. Taxis can be hard to find during rush hour especially on main roads, if you are having problems finding a taxi, try a smaller road. If you have any problem with a taxi in Guiyang please contact the following:
•Guiyang Taxi Complaining No.: 0851-5285496

Taxi at the Train Station –
Across the street from the train station, past the prominent public bus area there is a taxi line, where metered taxis can be picked up anytime of the day. Sometimes the line can be a little long, or taxis very few, but one should not have to wait more than 5-10 minutes to get a taxi. A taxi to city center should be about 10-12 yuan.

Taxi at the Airport –
Right outside the exit of the airport there is a taxi line, these taxis are metered during the day, but late night sometimes one must barter. Taxis into city center should be about 40-60 yuan.
Black Taxis – Guiyang has many black taxis. Most of the time these taxis work perfectly, but there have been a few cases of black taxi drivers either trying to rip-off foreigners or trying to commit even worse crimes, use them at your own risk. Prices in black taxis must be negotiated and the driver usually starts high, very rarely will you ever get a black taxi for less than what a metered taxi would cost, their existence stems from the difficultly to get a taxi a certain hours of the day in Guiyang.
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/taxi.html )

Five-Star Hotels
Although Guiyang is a poor city, in the poorest province in China, it still boasts an incredibly wealthy class of individuals, businessmen and travelers who stay at Five-Star hotels. These hotels are cheaper than Five-Star hotels in other countries or even in other cities in China. They are also the best places to get western food if you have the money.
Kempinski

Sheraton

Pullman

This French 5-star hotel is foreign operated with a Chinese staff. Done to true 5-star quality the Pullman is a great choice for one who wants luxury on their vacation. The Pullman also has the best western buffet in town but is a little steep at 200 yuan / person.

Empark Grand Hotel
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/5-star.html )

Four-Star Hotels

Four-Star hotels are the best bet for Guiyang travelers who want a western standard to their rooms but do not want to pay the price

Ramada

The Ramada Grand Hotel is located 7kms to the railway station and 12kms to the airport. It is near Qianling Park and features a western buffet, swimming pool, gym, 100mbs/internet and more. Click on “Ramada” for more details

Howard Johnson

One of the first international hotels in Guiyang, the Howard Johnson still keeps up with the new hotels in town. It offers a cheaper, but still great western buffet that includes sushi. It along with the Ramada is also the only hotels with an indoor swimming pool. Being near Qianling Park, the Howard Johnson is probably your best bet for all around value.

Novotel Downtown

The Novotel Downtown just opened last year and is a quality 4-star hotel. The best part about it is its location. Right off of ZhongHua Road very near PenShuiChi, the Novotel allows for the easiest access to everything in the city.

Trade Point
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/4-star.html )

Budget Hotels
Guiyang is full of cheap hotels. They are all Chinese owned and range widely in quality, price and appearance. Sadly Guiyang does not have an international youth hostel, but one can get a nicer and cheaper room at one of these places. Warning: these hotels will not have any English speaking staff and some of them will not allow you to stay if you are a foreigner. Also many of these hotels you cannot book on an English website, so one must book it in person or on a Chinese website like qunar.com
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/budget.html )

Local Food

SiWaWa – 丝娃娃 Local fresh vegetables inside a wrapped rice tortilla

A local favorite right out of Guiyang, Siwawa is not only delicious, it is also vegetarian, and unlike a lot of other Chinese food contains very little oil. There are two types of Siwawa, one that is eaten at street stands and one that is eaten at a nicer restaurant. Eating Siwawa is simple, you choose the vegetables you and your eating partners wish to eat, you pick up a rice tortilla, then using Chopsticks take the vegetables you want, put it in, wrap it up and enjoy.

Top 5 Siwawa Restaurants in Guiyang
1. Mr. Miaos siwawa- best in town balhbalhbalh address: link:

Bean Hot Pot – DouMi HuoGuo – 豆米火锅

Tourists and locals alike can fulfill their gustatory pleasures by indulging in another Guiyang favorite, bean hot pot, in which a smorgasbord of meats and vegetables are cooked in a boiling bean soup. Unlike famous hot pots in Chongqing and Sichuan, bean hot pot pot is devoid of the peppers and spices that typically set unsuspecting foreigners’ mouths ablaze. However, bean hot pot provides the opportunity to season various combinations of meats and vegetables in its delicious and hearty bean broth. At their table patrons are provided with a large pot containing a bean soup which is placed over a hot plate (or fire, depending on the restaurant you choose to patronize). Customers are then given the option to select numerous types of meats and vegetables to place in the piping hot soup.

Best Bean Hot Pot Restaurants
1. Tu Feng Bean Hot Pot 土风豆米火锅

Miao Sour Soup Fish Hot Pot – Miao SuanTang Yu HuoGuo – 苗酸汤鱼火锅

A specialty coming out of Southeast Guizhou, Sour Fish Hot Pot is often regarded as a food foreigners will miss most once they leave Guizhou. The thick, sour broth is made from tomatoes and it permeates into whatever you put in the pot. Typically inside is a large river fish that soaks up the flavor and your selection of other ingredients, typically potatoes, tofu and cabbage. The hot pot can be eaten alone or with side dishes. Most locals will dip the food that comes out of the hotpot into a small bowl of liquid hot peppers.

Best Sour Fish Soup Hot Pot
1. Old Kaili Sour Fish Soup – Top ranked by locals with a nice atmosphere, this restaurant gives you exactly what you need.
2. Miao Village Restaurant – Great flavored Sour Hot Pot in a little bit more modest of a setting than Old Kaili

Local Snacks

1. Smelly Tofu – Chou DouFu – 臭豆腐
– Sounds gross, but add some spicy pepper and it is a great snack

Best Local Lunch

1. Local Guiyang Intestine Noodle Soup 贵阳肠旺面 changwang mian
– This restaurant only runs during lunch hours and is ALWAYS packed. Loved by locals, and light on the wallet, this local special is a must have.Best Local Dinner
1. Sour Soup Hotpot by the Stick restaurant
– Well off the beaten path, this secret local hideout is not only ridiculously delicious but is also incredibly cheap and different.
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/local-food.html )

Foreign Food

Guiyang has few foreigners but over the past five years this has started to change. New western restaurants and more imported goods are coming everyday
Fast Food
1. KFC – Although lacking amazing western menu items such as the double down, KFC is a good break from Chinese food at decent prices. Breakfast sandwiches are highly recommended
2. Dicos – A Chinese knockoff of KFC that some say tastes better than KFC and is usually a few yuan cheaper. They also deliver.
3. CSC – A Chinese fast food restaurant with mostly rice dishes, a little more expensive than the local food, but cheaper than Dicos / KFC.
4. Master Kongs – Almost what one would expect a Chinese fast food restaurant to be in America.

Pizza

1. Pizza Fun – A Chinese owned pizza buffet that takes one out of Guiyang and into America. Currently open in two locations
2. Pizza Hut – The only international pizza chain in Guizhou. Although a little expensive it is your best bet for pizza in town.
3. Jazzy Pizza –
4. Beibado

Western Restaurants

1. Grandmas – Highly noted as the best western restaurant in town. Grandmas is the home of Guiyang’s only real beef hamburger.
2. LA Grill – Formerly owned by an American, now locally owned, LA Grill offers great tasting tex-mex but at a steep price and small portions
3. Highlands – Although mostly a coffee shop, highlands is owned and operated by foreigners and has a few western food items. Panini is highly recommended
4. Brazilian BBQ
Western Buffets
– Kempinski – not open yet, but will feature a German brew-house and the best food in town. Currently has three shefs hired.
– Sheraton – A great assortment of cheeses and other western cuisines
– Pullman – Rated the best buffet in town, the Pullman has everything you could want at a steep price (200 yuan/person)
– Howard Johnson – Not the best western buffet in town, but it tastes good, has great western selection and is comparatively cheap! (90 yuan / person)
– Ramada – Like the Howard Johnson the Ramada is good, western and cheaper than the 5-stars in town.
Korean / Thai / Japanese

Thai
– Bangkok Lotus
– Banana Leaf – Amazing Thai food, with a foreign chef and musical entertainment, but very expensive! Expect to pay at least 70 yuan a dish

Japanese

Korean

Imported Food Supermarkets

1. Carefore – The best imported food / alcohol section in town
2. Cheese Street – A Chinese market which sells bulk cheese and other imported goods. Hard to find, but is a real Guiyang Treasure.
2. Wal-Mart – American company, decent imported food section with three locations.
3. Xingli Department store Supermarkets – Nice Chinese supermarket in the bottom of the Xingli malls. Imported food is mostly Japanese and Korean but it has the largest imported wine and beer selections in town.
4. Imported Alcohol Store – A Chinese owned store with all the foreign liquor one would want, at standard imported prices.
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/foreign-food.html )

Chinese Food
Chinese food is as diverse as the people and its land. There are eight famous types of Chinese food and thousands of local specialities in this vast country. If you are looking for local food, click here. This page shows where to find the best of the rest in Chinese cuisine, in Guiyang.
Sichuan / Chongqing Food

The most famous style of food in China, Sichuan / Chongqing food is known for itsmala (spicy and numbing) flavor. Sichuan food is what is found in most small family restaurants. (Click here for a full menu of Sichuan food) But Sichuan and Chongqing are most well known for its hotpots. The hotpots are often incredibly spicy, oily and delicious.

Best Sichuan / Chongqing Dishes restaurants

Best Sichuan / Chongqing Hotpot restaurants

Muslim Food

A favorite of foreigners in China, Muslim food comes from the Hui and UyghurMuslim populations located in North and Northwest China. The Hui and Uyghurpeople have different cuisines but they taste similar. The Hui people’s most famous food is LanZhou La Mian (Lanzhou Pulled noodles) where the Uyghurs most famous food is Xinjiang DaPan Ji (Xinjiang big plate of Chicken).
The pulled noodles are made by hand, topped with your choice of meat, potato and vegetables with a slightly spicy sauce covering all of it. The noodles are best ordered fried, but can also come in a soup.
Da Pan Ji is a massive plate of chicken, potatoes, vegetables and sometimes tofu that is smothered in a delicious spicy sauce. One must eat this with the Xinjiang nan bread for the full flavor effect. The cuisine is much more vast than this so pick anything on the menu and you are bound to have a delightful meal!

Best Muslim Restaurants in Guiyang

1. Train Station Xinjiang Uyghur Restaurant
2. Muslim Street Xinjiang Uyghur Restaurant
3. Guizhou Normal College LaMian muslim

Beijing Food

1. Beijing Jiaozi – delicious Chinese dumplings with a friendly staff and good prices

Other

Best Vegetarian Food

1. Buddhist Temple Vegetarian Restaurant – An amazing experience in the middle of downtown, the Buddhist Temple Restaurant serves hundreds of dishes of Chinese cuisine but only use meat substitutes. These substitutes often taste better than the real thing. The end result is a meal that is delicious and healthy. Also inside is a small Buddhist temple.
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/chinese-food.html )

Menu

In Guizhou and all over China there are too many restaurants to even count. Most of these are called 家常菜 (family style) restaurants. These often have the same types of dishes. Here is a list of some of the most famous items on these menus.

Appetizers 开胃品

1. 炸花生 – Zha HuaSheng
– Deep-Fried Peanuts
2. 凉拌黄瓜 – LiangBan HuangGua
– Cold cumcumber with spice
3. 豆米 – Dou Mi
– Glutinous rice with spicePork 猪肉
1. 糖醋里脊 – TangCu LiJi
– Sweet and Sour Pork
2. 鱼香肉丝 – YuXiang RouSi
– Sour and Spicy Pork Strip
3. 京酱肉丝 – JingJiang RouSi
– Saucy meat with plum sauce and mini tortillas
4. 排骨 – Pai Gu
– Ribs
5. 水煮肉片 – ShuiZhu RouPian
– Pork Slices with a spicy soup base
6. 蒜苗炒肉 – SuanMiao ChaoRou
– Garlic Shoots with Pork

Chicken – 鸡肉

1. 工包鸡丁 – GongBao JiDing
– Chicken with Peanuts
2. 铁板鸡片 – TieBan Ji Pian
– Sizzling Chicken with Onions
3. 腰果鸡丁 – YaoGuo Ji Ding
– Chicken and Cashews

Beef – 牛肉

1. 铁板牛肉 – TieBan Niu Rou
– Sizzling beef and onions
2. 孜然牛肉 – ZiRan Niu Rou
– Deep fried beef and cumin
3. 红烧牛肉 – HongShao Niu Rou
– Beef in brown sauce
4. 牛肉炒大葱 – NiuRou Chao Da Cong
– Beef and onions

Vegetables – 蔬菜

1. 干煸土豆丝 – GanBian TuDouSi
– Deep Friend Shredding Potatoes
2. 炸薯条 – Zha ShuTiao
– Chinese French Fries
3. 土豆泥 – TuDou Ni
– Mashed Potatoes
4. 西红柿炒鸡蛋 – XiHongSe ChaoJiDan
– Fried Egg and Tomato
5. 干煸棒豆 – GanBian BangDou
– Crispy fried green beans
6. 干煸四季豆 – GanBian SiJiDou
– Crisy fried beans
7. 西兰花 – XiLanHua
– Broccoli

Vegetables – 蔬菜

1. 花菜 – Hua Cai
– Cauliflower
2. 菠菜 – Bo Cai
– Spinach
3. 空心菜 – Kong Xin Cai
– Chinese Water Spinach
4. 白菜 – BaiCai
– Chinese Cabbage
5. 玉米 – YuMi
– Corn
6. 茄炸 – QieZha
– Breaded Eggplant with meat filling
7. 生菜 – Sheng Cai
– Lettuce

Tofu – 豆腐

1. 麻婆豆腐 – MaPo DouFu
– Tofu chunks in spicy sauce
2. 家常豆腐
– Homestyle tofu
3. 青椒豆腐干
– Smoke tofu strips and green peppers
4. 日本豆腐
– Japanese tou fu

Staples

1. 米饭 – Mi fan
– rice
2.蛋炒饭 – Dan ChaoFan
– Egg fried rice
3. 饺子 – jiaozi
– Chinese dumplings
4. 面条 – mian tiao
– Noodles
5. 包子 – BaoZi
– Steamed Bun with various fillings
6. 馒头 – ManTou
– Chinese steamed bread
7. 馄饨 – HunTun
– Wonton

Soup – 汤

1. 酸辣汤 – SuanLa Tang
– Hot and Sour Soup
2. 西红柿鸡蛋汤 – HongXiShi JiDanTang
– Tomato and Egg soup
3. 白菜豆腐汤
– Tofu and Cabbage soup
4. 三鲜汤 – SanXianTang
– Meatball, Veggie soup

Hot Pot – 火锅

1. 清汤 – QingTang
– Clear (light, no/little spice) hotpot
2. 酸汤
– Sour Hot Pot
3. 麻辣汤
– Hot and Spicy Hot Pot
4. 豆米火锅
– Brown Bean Hot Pot
5. 豆花火锅
– Special Tofu Hot pot
6. 干锅鸡
– Dry Chicken Hotpot

Drinks – 饮料

1. 可口可乐 – kekou kele – Coke
2. 百事可乐 – baishi kele – Pepsi
3. 雪碧 – XueBi – Sprite
4. 茶水 – ChaShui – Tea
5. 矿泉水 – KuangQuan Shui Spring Water
6. 开水 – kai shui – hot water
7. 啤酒 – Pi Jiu – Beer
8. 葡萄酒 – PuTao Jiu – Red Wine
9. 咖啡 – KaFei – Coffee

Desserts – 甜点

1. 拔丝苹果 – BaSi Ping Guo
– Caramelized apple chunks
2. 菠萝飞饼 – BoLuo FeiBing
– Pineapple Pastry
3. 南瓜饼 – NanGuo Bing
– Chinese pumpkin bread

Recipes

Although Guizhou does not have many foreign restaurants, it does not mean you cannot get foreign food out of your Kitchen. This section will help you make delicious western food out of items you can find from most Chinese Supermarkets

– Basic Pasta Noodles – Wal-Mart and Carefore both have Italian pasta but it can be expensive, make it yourself for 2 yuan!
– Basic White Sauce – The closest thing you can get to Alfredo
– Beer Bread – A good western style bread.
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/menu–recipes.html)

Guiyang Bars / Clubs

China is known for its heavy drinking culture. And in China, Guizhou is famous for its heavier drinking culture. It makes sense as Guizhou is the home of the “National Liquor” Moutai. This gives Guiyang a slew of bars and KTV’s but because of its small, young/middle class and foreign population there are very few international type places and no western style bars.

Bars

The Guiyang Bar scene is much different than other cities in China. Most bars consist of dimly lit areas with giant puffy couches to sit on and drink cheap beer. These are great for being with your friends but it can make it difficult to find new friends. Also there are no western style bars in town.

Top Bars in Guiyang
1.
2.

Clubs

Guiyang has a few clubs in town. They are all Chinese owned and operated, but from time to time will have a foreign DJ playing. A good time for those who love them and a strange cultural experience for those who have not been to one yet. Going to a club in China is a must at least once, but terrible if you go too often.

Top Clubs in Guiyang
1.
2.

KTV

KTV is something everyone must do at least once in China. Round up your friends, rent a room, get some beers and have the time of your life.

Top KTV in Guiyang
1.
2..

Other

( from googuizhou.weebly.com/bars-clubs-and-ktv.html )

Coffee and Tea

Guiyang is a city full of Coffee and Tea shops. It seems that along every street coffee and tea shops are every other shop. The best part is that in Guiyang all coffee houses are locally owned, not one Starbucks can be found! The following are a few of the best local coffee shops in town.
Createa (宜北町 – Yi Bei Ding)

The Starbucks of Guiyang, Createa is a local Chain with over 8 locations that gives you fast service, cheap prices and a busy atmosphere with generic jazz music playing in the background. The drinks are good, but the teas are better than the coffees. Createa also offers desserts such as cheesecake for the lowest prices in town. The menu is in English but the staff does not speak English but one can easily point at the menu to place your order. Free wi-fi is available, but you must ask the counter for the password. Here is a map of all the Createas in Guiyang.
Soil Cafe (土壤咖啡)

The high end coffee shop of Guiyang， Soil cafe has emerged out of nowhere a year ago to now having over five locations. The atmosphere is really nice, albeit a little confusing. The drinks are expensive and the service can be a bit slow, especially at the main store near Guizhou Normal University. The place is not meant to be a Starbucks but more of a place to meet with friends and spend an entire afternoon chatting or doing work. It really works well with Guiyang’s relaxed pace of life, but if you are want a quick cup of coffee head to Createa instead. Free Wi-Fi available, just ask a server for the password. Here is a map of all the Soil Cafe’s in town.

Highlands

Highlands was started by an American five years ago but this year the ownership was handed over to a Singaporean and a Korean. Highlands offers an English speaking staff, a comfortable atmosphere and a great foreign food menu including paninis. The prices are in-between Createa and Soil Cafe and the drinks and food are great. The only problem with Highlands is the overly strict rule enforcement that levees a sitting tax if you do not order, even if a friend did, a no outside drinks of food policy (unlike every other coffee shop in Guizhou, not even a bottle of water is not allowed from the outside even if you ordered a coffee) and an even stranger no pictures policy. That being said, the new management will hopefully change this practice. Free wifi is available.

Wings of Tea

Other Local Coffee / Tea Shops

Guiyang has so many coffee/tea shops that it is impossible to list them all. But here is a list of GoGuizhou.com’s other favorites.

1. Zero Cafe
2.
3.

( from googuizhou.weebly.com/coffee–tea.html )

Hot Springs and Spas
Guiyang is known for its laid back atmosphere and who would not want to relax here when there is an abundance of hot springs, natural and man-made in such a small area. Here is some of the best around.

Poly Hot Springs

Tianyi Forest Hot Springs

Xifeng Hot Springs

Wudang Hot Springs

( from googuizhou.weebly.com/hot-springs-and-spas.html)

TongRen Living

Living as a Laowai
There are not many foreigners in Tongren. In fact, according to the police bureau, there are exactly 7 laowai in Tongren right now, all of whom are teachers. Life in Tongren is pretty relaxed. The tough part about living in a small rural community is that very few people have ever met, let alone seen, a laowai before. Therefore when you are walking down the street, riding the bus, or having dinner in any given restaurant, you can expect consistent stares and an occasional “hullo” from a brave passer by. There is one known blog about life in Tongren. Tongren blog

How to Arrive / Leave

Tongren does have an airport, but you can only arrive from Guiyang and Shanghai. The train station in town was built in 2006 and is very small, however, there are daily trains to Shanghai to the east and Chengdu to the west. To go south by train, you have to travel by bus to the town of Yuping or take the train one stop east and transfer in Huaihua.

Where to work: Really the only jobs for foreigners in Tongren are teaching jobs. There are two universities in the town, but the salary at both is small, especially when compared to schools in more affluent provinces or autonomous regions. There are several private English training schools who offer competitive salaries that include housing, water, and electricity.
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/living1.html)

Wumeng Mountain

The Wumeng Mountain national geopark is on the eastern slope of the qinhai tibet plateu and in the transition region from the yunnan-guzhou plateau to the hills in guangxi. Wumeng mountain si mainly composed of the karst geological remains and landscapes, plains in the mountaihns, valleys, paleeontological fossils and anthropoligical sites. The national geopark consists of two gardens and five scenic zones.

Beipan River Grand Canyon

YuShe National Forest Park

The Wumeng Mountain national geopark is on the eastern slope of the Qinghai Tibetan plateu and in the transition region from the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau to the hills in Guangxi. Wumeng mountain si mainly composed of the karst geological remains and landscapes, plains in the mountaihns, valleys, paleeontological fossils and anthropoligical sites. The national geopark consists of two gardens and five scenic zones.

Liuzhi Suoga

( from googuizhou.weebly.com/traveling.html )

Liupanshui 六盘水 – The Cool Capital

Liupanshui is both a name for a city and prefecture in western Guizhou. Liupanshui is also the second largest and most developed city in Guizhou. The city itself has about 300,000 residents while the prefecture has close to 3,000,000. Liupanshui gets its name from the three main cities that combined to create the prefecture Liuzhi, Panxian and Shui Cheng. The city is known as the “cool city” or the “cool capital” because of its cool summer temperatures.

The city is divided into three main areas huang tu po, The New Development Are (开发区kai fa qu） and the dragon mountain area. Huang tu po is the oldest part of the city and because of this it is the most pedestrian friendly area. There are many great shops, restaurants and supermarkets in this area. it is also home to the LPS city government.

The new development zone has all been built in the last 10 years. It is the most developed area of the city which holds the people’s square, two large parks, coffee shops, nice Chinese hotels, some department stores, the PSB office and a Wal Mart.

The Dragon Mountain area is the newest addition to LPS city. It is up on a hill that makes a pretty picturesque scenery during a sunny day. Most of the buildings in this area have been built in the last few years and much of the area is still under construction. This area is home to the LPS provincial government offices, the number three (best) middle school and is also the future home of the LPS foreign language center.

Living as a Foreigner

Although the city is the second largest in Guizhou and is also one of the main hubs of the provinces’ economic development, the expat population constantly fluctuates between 5-10. Most of them work as teachers but there are a few who are studying Chinese. The city is much more of a traditional Chinese place with little exposure to foreigners. Most of the time you will be greeted on the streets with stares (of curiosity not contempt), the oft-stated “hello!”or “OOO laowai!” and great smiles from the local people. That being said the city itself boasts a small Chinese middle/upper class who have had previous experience with foreigners and some nice Chinese accommodations to take you out of the sometimes harsh conditions.

The level of English speaking in the community is very low. Liupanshui is a great place to live but if a laowai is not accustom to Chinese culture or know some basic Chinese (or is not willing to learn these things) it can be very difficult to live in this city. That being said if you do have a basic understanding of Chinese and its culture the city can be a really fulfilling place to experience.

Laowais who have lived in LIupanshui typically say the food, people and the surrounding scenery are the best aspects of the city. While the worst part of living in Liupanshui is the constant cold and wet weather during the winter, think Seattle with the lack of central heat.

Getting in / Out
Train
Liupanshui’s train station is one of the main train hubs in Guizhou. Liupanshui has trains that go all the way to Kunming in the west, Guiyang to the east, and Chengdu to the north. To buy train tickets you must buy them in person at the train station or in one of the small ticket booths located around the city within 10 days prior to your departure.

Liupanshui to Guiyang / Guiyang to Liupanshui
Guiyang is the closest large city with a size-able foreign population and some international goods. At all times there is the ability to catch a train to Guiyang or Liupanshui as there are 30 trains that travel to Guiyang and about the same that come back to Liupanshui daily. There are three different types of trains that travel between the cities. All of the trains have AC. Two types of the trains take 3 hours and 45 minutes (any train with a K) and then there are three trains that take 2 hours and 45 minutes (any train with a T)

The two types of K trains are priced at 23 yuan ($4) and 43 yuan ($8) oneway. If on a budget I recommend the 23 yuan train because the 43 yuan trains don’t arrive any faster nor do they provide any extra comfort. Both of these trains have hard seats (benches) that face each other. If you happen to go on a weekend or holiday these will be very full with a strong likelihood that you will be crammed or standing the entire train ride. If this happens try to find the dining room car which usually resides in the middle of the train between the sleeper section and the hard seats. While there order one dish and enjoy the comfort while you eat your meal over 4 hours. Also if you have the cash sleepers are available on these trains.

The T trains were just added in October of 2010. They are second hand fast trains taken from the east of China and are quite nice. Most seats are bucket type, have ample leg room and face forward like a standard western train. These trains also usually are less full, quieter and they are smoke free. The tickets cost 64 yuan ($11) for a regular seat and 77 yuan ($13) for a “VIP” seat. The VIP seats aren’t worth the extra money.

Full Schedule of trains from LPS to Guiyang
Full Schedule of trains from Guiyang to LPS

Liupanshui to Kunming / Kunming to Liupanshui
Kunming is the closest city with a McDonalds. It is also a foreign backpacker mecca, a hub for many national natural wonders and just a wonderful city all the way around. It takes between 6 hours and 30 minutes to 9 hours to arrive in Kunming. If you wish to get to Kunming I recommend the T60 overnight train with a top sleeper bed.

Liupanshui to Kunming Schedule
Kunming to Liupanshui Schedule
Liupanshui to Chengdu / Chengdu to Liupanshui
Chengdu is metropolitan city of 10,000,000 people 12-15 hours north of Liupanshui. It is home of the American consulate for Southwest China. There are 7 trains daily to Chengdu.
Liupanshui to Chengdu Schedule
Chengdu to Liupanshui Schedule

Liupanshui is also the best place to stay overnight on your way to CaoHai lake in WeiNing. There are a few trains a day that go to Weining, with a ticket only costing 10 yuan and a total travel time of 1 and a half hours.

Bus station 客车站
The Liupanshui bus station is a 10 minute walk from the train station has buses running all day to many different cities in Guizhou and beyond. Most often the buses will be more expensive than the train but the station is also less crowded, and easier to get a ticket. Because of Guizhou’s rough terrian bus rides are quite the adventure and they also take close to as long or longer than taking a train. That being said buses serve many smaller communities that train stations don’t go to such as Bijie and Xingyi.

Getting Around

The city of Liupanshui lies in a valley which makes it very narrow, this makes getting lost in Liupanshui very difficult. The main road that goes throughout the city and were most of the important businesses, residential areas and places to see reside is Zhong Shan Da Dao (钟山大道). Zhong Shan da dao is a long, wide two way road,

Public Transportation

The only method of public transportation is bus. There are about 10 bus lines that go throughout the city. Buses start running at 7am and close at 9pm (although some of the smaller lines open later and close earlier). Every bus is 1 yuan/person.

The 1 line is the most important bus route as it goes the entire length of Zhong Shan in both directions. The city is currently revamping their bus fleet and stops, more detailed information about buses will come soon.

Taxis

Taxis are ubquitious throughout the city. Most of the time they are very easy to hail and very cheap to use. The meter starts at 5 yuan (about $.75) for the first two km. Make sure to tell the taxi driver that you want a metered taxi (da biao!) and you should rarely ever have a ride that is more than 15 yuan ($2.50).

Taxis can be difficult to get during rush hour and at the train station. Especially at midnight at the trainstation it is almost impossible to get a taxi by yourself and metered. If this is the case you should never pay over 15 yuan to get to your destination and 10 yuan is a good price. Also, especially late at night it is common for taxi drivers to pick up other passengers, this is ok, you will not be charged more for this.

Although rare, if you get in a situation where the taxi driver wants to overcharge you, ask him for a receipt (Da piao), if he won’t give it to you tell him you will call the police as it is in their licence agreement that they must be able to give you a recepit for the taxi ride.

There are also three wheel taxis that can slowly take you anywhere. Only take these if you are having trouble finding a regular taxi. These vehicals have no meter but you should never pay over 10 yuan for a ride. They are also very small and dangerious so take them at your peril

“Black Taxis”
are unmarked and illegal taxis. Sometimes they can work out fine sometimes not. Take them at your own risk.
Shopping

Liupanshui has many supermarkets as well as outdoor markets. The big two supermarket chains in Liupanshui are WalMart (1 location) and Jiahui (3 locations). Both of these supermarkets have about the same amount of goods at close to the same prices (although I have found things to be a little cheaper at Jiahui). Other small supermarkets also exist.

WalMart is located in Kai Fa Qu right across the street from Ren Min Guang Chang on the third floor of the Sun Center building. WalMart has the largest selection of International goods in Liupanshui but that is not saying much. Currently it has two small shelves full of mostly Japanese and Korean snacks. But some western food is also available such as pasta, pasta sauce, some cereals and other random western sauces. The international goods that come in are not always in stock and what WalMart carries fluctuates in random ways.

WalMart is also your best bet to find foreign alcohols. They have a decent selection of International Vodka, whiskey and red wine. Other locations have it but they are most likely counterfeit.

If you want good bread go to the yi xing long da chao shi (一兴隆大超市) in Hong tu po. The supermarket is across the street from Dicos and has a large blue sign at its entrance. At the bottom floor the bread section has the normal strange looking sweet breads but on the top shelf they have buns. Yi xing supermarket produced these buns for the Dicos across the street and they taste just like a bun one would find in America.
Clothes
Like most Chinese cities along the streets of LPS is one clothing store after another. On Zhong Shan road in the new development zone there are a few Nike, Addidas stores as well as some higher end clothing shops. The Huang tu po area has two main locations where you can buy very cheap knock off goods. One is located on the corner across the street from the KFC, the other is situated under the sports stadium.
MedicalLiupanshui city is the major medical care center for the region. The best hospital is Liupanshui People’s Hospital (六盘水人民医院）. The hospital is old and does not meet the standards set by the American consulate to have any work done other than the most basic services. There are no English speaking doctors. That being said in June 2011 the new hospital will open with much better facilities.

The closest English speaking doctors are in Guiyang at the Guiyang Medical School hospital. The closest hospital recommended by the American consulate is in Kunming.

Information for English Speaking Doctors in Guiyang
Where to Work
Liupanshui currently has three schools with foreign teachers.

The current job openings include:
www.esljobs.com/china/esl-teachers-needed-in-liupanshui-c…
Teach young learners or adults in LPS
Where to Study – There is an intensive Chinese language program at Liupanshui Normal University. The program offers one on one instruction with great mandarin speakers in a classroom setting. Currently there are two students enrolled.

Coffee/Tea

Over the past two years Liupanshui has had a renaissance of coffee and tea shops. Growing seemingly as fast as its middle class every new area has many coffee and tea houses. Once nice thing about Liupanshui coffee bars is that there are no chain coffee places, all of the shops are locally owned, which brings friendly service and a relaxing atmosphere. The only down side to that is especially for coffee some shops have very inexperienced with the drink making process itself. The following are the four best coffee/tea shops in town.

Wayne (Wizard of Oz) and Tims (TT) – Although not the official names, the local laowai know the first two coffee shops by the first name of the owners. Wayne and Tim are cousins, they are incredibly friendly and both speak English well. The coffee shops are located right next to each other, on the small street next to the Dico’s fast food restaurant near the People’s Square. They both offer a relaxing homey atmosphere and have wonderful drinks. The main difference between the two shops are although they both serve alcohol, Wayne’s only serves cocktails and wine as Tims offers a selection of beers to go along with your coffee.

Cool Choose – Despite the funny name, Cool Choose is the closest thing Liupanshui has to a Starbucks / American coffee house feel. Cool Choose is north of the people’s square, across the street from the Vito Hotel / China Telecom building. Not only does Cool Choose have great coffee and tea but it is also home to the only Cheese Cake in town.

Detail Coffee – Located on the second floor of the cool city palace, Detail coffee has a very friendly staff, an elegant, urban atmosphere and a great view of the people’s square.

Bars

Clubs – Liupanshui is home to two night clubs jiahui and guohui. They are both located near the People’s Square. Both offer dancing to blaringly loud, techo remixes of old American pop/hip-hop songs. The nightlife also ends early. Most nights the club will be cleared by midnight – one o’clock. That does not mean they are not fun but one must arrive early.
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/liupanshui.html )

Huangguoshu Waterfall 黄果树瀑布
( from googuizhou.weebly.com/huangguoshu-waterfall.html)

Historical Sites
From the ancient to modern history, temples to the political meeting sites, Guizhou has many great, off-the-path historical areas to see!
Zunyi Meeting Site

Qingyan Ancient Town

( from googuizhou.weebly.com/historical-sites.html)

English Tour Guides

English tours in Guizhou are few and far between, but that makes them much more exciting. Lost is the massive buses going to tourist attractions with expensive ticket prices and long waits and found is very personal tours, from excellent, knowledgeable and local guides. Here are a few companies with listed tours and also a list of companies that do individual tours.

Top Guizhou Tours

1. ToGuizhou , www.toguizhou.com/, – A wonderful local who started his own tour company. He does the best tours of minority festivals in Guizhou.
2. Absolute China Tours , www.absolutechinatours.com/Guiyang-tours/
3. China Tour Guides , www.chinatourguide.com/guizhou/- Wonderful Minority tours for an affordable price

( from googuizhou.weebly.com/english-tours.html)

Guizhou Normal University

Guizhou Normal University is located in Guiyang, China, which is the capital of China’s Guizhou province. The university’s main campus is located close to the center of the city, and its campus is encompassed by the often bustling and lively atmosphere of downtown Guiyang. GNU is in close proximity to Pen Shui chi, which is a center for food, shopping and night life in Guiyang. GNU currently comprises two campuses, Baoshan (main campus) and Baiyun, and the construction of a third campus is currently underway in Huaxi district.

Originally named National Guiyang Teachers College, the University was founded in 1941, and renamed Guiyang Teachers College after the creation of the People’s Republic of China in 1950. In 1985 it was officially named Guizhou Normal University (GNU). In 1996 GNU was officially designated as one of the “Key Universities” of Guizhou Province. GNU was honored as an “Outstanding University” in the Undergraduate Teaching Assessment conducted by the Ministry of education in 2008, and in February of 2010 GNU was authorized to grant PhD’s by the State Council Academic Degrees Committee.

Teaching English
Teaching English – Guizhou Normal University is always looking for foreign teachers. Teacher usually have 16 hours of classes a week and an English Corner. Pay is around 6000 yuan / month and a free apartment. Apartments are old but nice. Click here and go to Contact US to apply

International Scope
GNU is a participant in the Ministry of Education’s “Program of Partner Assistance with Western Universities,” and currently engages in an exchange program with Ohio State University. GNU has also established exchange programs with schools in Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Since 2006 GNU has also cooperated with Xiamen University, a nationally prestigious university within China, to forge a “partner assistance” relationship.
GNU currently has a student body numbering more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students, most of whom hail from Guizhou Province. The university has approximately 1,400 full time teachers, some of whom’s work has been honored by the Guizhou Provincial Government as well as the government of China. According to GNU’s website “In the past five years, the university has undertaken 79 national research projects and 430 provincial and ministerial research projects. The university has received 67 provincial awards for its achievements.”

GNU consists of 22 schools, including an independent college named Qiushi college. Other schools include the School of Chinese Language and Literature, the School of Law, The School of Foreign Languages, and the School of Fine Arts. There are a variety of academic programs available for students to pursue, including 52 degree programs for undergraduate students, and 42 programs available to post graduate students.

Library

The libraries on GNU’s campuses collectively hold more than 2 million printed books, 540,000 e-books, 100,000 e-books in foreign languages, and 2,544 foreign and domestic newspapers. The library on GNU’s Baoshan campus is also the location of a Provincial Information Center, the National Protection Unit of Ancient Books, and the center of “Document Sharing Technology of Guizhou Province.” Other key facilities include the University hospital and a newly constructed health center at Baoshan campus.

External Links
Official website : www.gznu.edu.cn/
Official website (English) : 210.40.64.7/english/index.htm Studying Chinese
Studying Chinese Chinese Language Program
Guizhou NormalUniversity recruits students from various countries to study Chinese language and culture courses. The students may study 15 language courses and about 15 Chinese culture courses for at least half a year. If students achieve a qualified score, they can get a Chinese Language Culture Study certificate.Instruction will be given in speaking, listening comprehension, reading, newspaper reading, writing and ancient Chinese. Special courses can be arranged to meet the students’needs. The teaching-hour will be at least 20 hours.
Long-term Programs Required CoursesLong term programs are available
Short-term Programs Guizhou NormalUniversity recruits students and teachers from various countries to study Chinese language and culture. The available short-term Chinese language and culture programs are offered as following all year round. 1. Chinese Language Learning Program (Half a year or one year)
2. Guizhou Minority Culture Study Program during winter holiday
3. Guizhou Minority Culture Study Program during summer holiday
4. Cultural Field Trip to Sister Festival of Miao people and Drum-tower Festival of Dong People
5. Seeking Cooperative Research Fellows

Application ProcedureThe period of study ranges from one and half year to one year. The spring semester begins on March 1, and the autumn semester begins on September 1. Applicants need to apply 2 months ahead of time. They need to present their resume, application form, health certification, 6 photos, letter of recommendation, an education certificate, and a photocopy of their passport at one time to the Department of International Relations of GNU. Students are expected to arrive at least a week before the new semester begins. Tuition cannot be refunded when a student discontinues studying for any reason.Application form:http://www.gznu.edu.cn/survey/org/wsb/extra_bits/app/student_appl ication.pdf Tuition:6000 yuan / term for a general visiting student; 8000-11000 yuan / term for a visiting scholarRegistration Fee: 500 yuan Contacts:The Department of International Relations, Guizhou Normal UniversityNo. 116 BaoshanBeiLu
Guiyang, Guizhou, 550001
P. R. ChinaTel: +86-851- 6701140 / 6742053Fax: +86-851-6766891E-mail: wsc@gznu.edu.cn

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Who we are

Ni hao! Welcome to GoGuizhou.com, we are two American volunteer teachers who love living in Guizhou. Our lives have been significantly changed and touched since moving here and we both consider Guizhou “home”. Our travels throughout Guizhou have taken us from small minority villages in the northeast to stunning hikes in the mountains of the southwest and everything in between. Our purpose is not to make money, but to have others share in the joy we have been given from this land. Take a look at the site, hopefully gain some new perspectives on Guizhou and contact us if you want to add your own touch to the site!

Questions? Comments? Want to help make the site? EMAIL US! : emyxter@gmail.com

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