Fanpai is a small mountain village in lush surroundings in eastern Guizhou Province. It mainly appeals to those with a love for local culture but is quite tough to get to.
Fanpai is about 26kms from Taijiang town and is set up at altitude on a mountainside. It is best accessed by bus from Kaili, from where local transport runs from Taijiang. The scenery here is the main draw, featuring terraced fields and a string of Miao villages.
A river flows through Fanpai and there are around 200 families here living in houses on stilts. The village is best visited during one of its many festivals to see costumed locals and the wooden drum dance.
Getting There & Away
Fanpai is best accessed by bus from the town of Kaili, which in turn receives buses and trains from the provincial capital, Guiyang. It is about 3 or 4 hours of rough road from Kaili via the town of Taijiang. Guiyang has the nearest major airport with flights to Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing (2 hours, 40 minutes).
Things to Do
Fanpai Attractions
- Fanpai setting
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The best part is the village’s setting, located as it is at altitude amid terraced fields.
Side trips from Fanpai
- Leishan
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Another pretty traditional village situated south of kaili with ethnic groups and pleasing buildings.
Events
- Worshipping Bridge Festival
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This march festival is intriguing to outsiders, with costumed locals and girl drummers.