China Guide
Guangxi and Guizhou
If there's one thing that defines the subtropical southwestern provinces of Guangxi and Guizhou, it's limestone: most of the rivers here are coloured a vivid blue-green by it; everywhere you look are weathered karst hills worn into poetic collections of tall, sharp peaks; and the ground beneath is riddled with extensive caverns, some flooded, others large enough to fit a cathedral inside.
The landscape is epitomized by the tall karst towers surrounding the city of Guilin in northeastern Guangxi, familiar to Chinese and Westerners alike through centuries of eulogistic poetry, paintings and photographs. A boat trip down the Li River here is a most enjoyable way to soak up the surrounds, and a stay in the enjoyable riverside town of Yangshuo puts you at the heart of it. Equally impressive are cave systems at Zhijin in western Guizhou. Most rewarding, perhaps, is the chance of close contact with ethnic groups, particularly the Miao, whose riotous Sisters Meal Festival in Taijiang is well worth a detour; and the Dong, whose and whose wooden village architecture is best appreciated at Chengyang. It's also one of the few places in the country where you can be fairly sure of encountering rare wildlife: notably cranes at Caohai near Weining in Guizhou's far west.
For a long while the region was pretty well ignored by Han China, and evolved into a stronghold for ethnic groups. But during the early Qing dynasty a population explosion in eastern China saw an expansion westwards by the Han. Some of the ethnic minorities kept their nominal identity but more or less integrated with the Chinese, while others resisted assimilation by occupying isolated highlands; either way, the new settlers put pressure on available resources, creating a hotbed of resentment against the government. This finally exploded in the Taiping Uprising of 1850, marking the start of a century of devastating civil conflict. Even today, while the minority groups have been enfranchised by the formation of several autonomous prefectures, industry and infrastructure remain underdeveloped and few of the cities have much to offer.
Highlights
1 Li River Cruise between Guilin and Yangshuo through a forest of tall, weirdly contorted karst peaks.
2 Dong villages Communities of wooden houses, bridges and drum towers pepper remote rural highlands along the Guangxi– Guizhou border.
3 Hua Shan Another boat trip to see a whole cliffside of mysterious rock art flanking Guangxi's Zuo River.
4 Sisters' Meal Festival Exuberant showpiece of Miao culture, featuring three days of dancing, bull fighting and dragon-boat racing.
5 Zhijin Caves The largest, most spectacular of China's subterranean limestone caverns, full of creatively named rock formations.
6 Caohai Spend a day punting around this beautiful lake near the town of Weining, a haven for ducks and rare black-necked cranes.