Western Guizhou is a staggering region of Guizhou Province of high mountains and waterfalls. There’s only one major airport in the region and not many expressways, so getting about is tough for the most part.
Western Guizhou incorporates the bottom left part of the province, south of Zunyi and west of Guiyang. Yunnan Province lies to the west. Anshun is the most visited city in Western Guizhou for the nearby Huangguoshu Falls. They are China’s largest falls and look fantastic by day or night. Anshun is a two-hour bus journey from Guiyang.
On a similar vein, Xingyi, in the south, is a gateway to the huge Maling Gorge, a 15km-long area of outstanding natural beauty. There are high bridges and waterfalls galore here, plus the boating and walking is good.
In the west of Western Guizhou is the small market town and autonomous Weining region, which provides access to one of China’s largest freshwater lakes. Caohai Lake lies at altitude and supports a huge range of migratory birds in the fall and spring. It’s just a 15-minute walk from town.
Getting There & Away
There’s just one train line in Western Guizhou, which goes from Guiyang to Liupanshui and then south to Kunming in Yunnan. Buses are the de facto way of getting around and expressways run between Guiyang and Kunming and from Kunming to Chengdu. Guiyang Longdongbao Airport receives flights from Beijing (3 hours) and Shanghai.