21 February 1999

        Arrived in Guiyang, Guizhou province at 22:10. Checked into the Mingzhu Hotel which was close to the railway station.

   Jiaxiu Tower

        The next day I took route 2 public transport to Hebin Park, which was only 4 stops away. From the park I took a motor cycle ride to Jiaxiu Pavilion. According to tourist information, Jiaxiu Pavilion stands on the Aoj rock in the middle of the Nanming River. The pavilion was first built in A.D. 1597 of the late Ming dynasty in order to tame the unruly river. The name Jiaxiu means excellence in the imperial examinations.

        Got up at 06:00 the following morning for the Huangguoshu Waterfall tour. The waterfall is about 120 km southwest of Guiyang city. En route we were taken to a Miao village where we were given a short reception and performance.  These village performances are an industry across China now.  Local indigenous peoples dress up in their traditional costumes and enact all kinds of ceremonies to entertain tourists. 

        Back at the hotel, I inquired about the Wind Rain Bridges and was told to visit Red Maple Lake. Red Maple Lake is actually a holiday resort, supposedly representing the lifestyles and cultures of the Buyi, Miao and Dong minorities. I had arrived during the slow season and there weren’t too many performances. Apparently, during the summer season there are also nightly shows.

        My last bit of sightseeing in Guiyang was in the underground caves of the southern suburb. The caves are full of stalactites and stalagmites, but I had to wait around for a group of 10 to form. After lunch I took the number 73 bus and got off on the driver’s instructions for another bus that took me to Qianling Park.