DESTINATION SOUTH-WESTERN CHINA

Natural wonders dominate the south-west region of China, which includes the provinces of Guanxi, Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan. Although the south-west contains some of China's greatest tourist drawcards, foreign visitors tend not to explore the region fully as travel can be difficult in some provinces and spoken English is patchy. If you want to stick to the trail, Sichuan's epicurean delights and Yunnan's cultural and geographical diversity and mild climate make them essential itinerary items. For the adventurous, though, there are also fascinating minority regions along the Guangxi-Guizhou border, mountain areas offering great hiking and the opportunity to stumble upon some of China's least-visited villages.

Map of South-Western China (15K)

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Attractions
Off the Beaten Track
Getting There & Getting Around
Lonely Planet Guides
Travellers' Reports on China
On-line Info


Attractions

Guangxi

Guangxi's most famous attraction is Guilin, perhaps the most eulogised of all Chinese sightseeing areas. Boom-time zeal has killed off some of Guilin's charm but it's still one of China's greener, more scenic destinations. Some of the extraordinary scenery on offer in this southern riverside city can be found in the north-west outskirts of town at the Reed Flute Cave, where contorted stalactites and stalagmites are aglow with coloured lights. Many other caves and peaks around town deserve exploring, but if you're on a budget just follow the busloads of backpackers out to nearby Yangshuo. With its Western-style cafes, Hollywood movies and banana pancakes, this little town may not be the `real China' - but if you've been on the road for weeks this is probably not a bad thing. Moon Hill is a mystical spot - the bike ride from Yangshuo passes through stunning landscapes and the climb to the full-moon-shaped hole in the hill is spectacular. Of the numerous nearby caves, those worthy of investigation include Black Buddha Caves, New Water Caves and Dragon Cave. A cruise down the Li River from Yangshou takes you to the picturesque cobblestoned town of Fuli.

Guizhou

More backward than its immediate neighbours, this mountainous province has always drawn a relatively small but devoted crowd to its Huangguoshu Falls, China's largest waterfall in Guizhou's south-west. This province's most famous export is the lethal Maotai liquor, named after the village of its origin in Renhuai County. Festivals are big in Guizhou and a good starting point for a festival crawl is Kaili, east of the capital, Guiyang. A profusion of festivals is held in nearby minority areas such as Leishan, Xijiang, Danxi and Qingman. Centrally-located Guiyang is an underrated provincial city offering good food, lively markets and some interesting sights. One such sight is the Hongfu Monastery, perched near the top of the 1300-metre-high Qianling Mountain.

Stone Forest, Shilin (24K)

Yunnan

Without doubt one of the most alluring destinations in China, Yunnan's incredible natural wonders range from tropical rainforest to icy Tibetan highlands. It's also home to a third of China's ethnic minorities and half of the country's plant and animal species. The capital, Kunming, is known as `Spring City' for its year-round mild climate and the city is an interesting enough place for food and market exploring. But Yunnan's real gems are scattered far and wide around the capital. The little city of Dali in the west is a perfect place to tune out for a while. The stunning mountain backdrop, Erhai Lake, the old city, cheap beer and the odd pizza make it one of the few places where a pampered Westerner can truly take a holiday from travelling. Dali picks up the pace during the market frenzy of the Third Moon Fair, which is usually held in April. Lijiang is an ancient, festive town to the north where a glimpse at the rich culture of the Naxi minority is a must. The town is also famed for its temple frescoes. Nearby Leaping Tiger Gorge, with its stunning trekking opportunities is well worth three or four days. The Xishuangbanna Region in the deep south is China's own mini-Thailand (it's on the Myanmar/Laos border) and home to the colourful Dai people. Despite concerted government efforts to concrete the area, the jungle here hides wild elephants, tigers and golden-haired monkeys.

Chicken haggling, Shaping market near Dali (23K)

Sichuan

A provincial giant heaving with people (110 million in fact), Sichuan is rich in resources, history, culture and spicy cuisine. And there's nowhere better to see the fruits of China's economic reforms than in Chengdu, the capital. Hip, liberal and gloriously food-obsessed, the city has the wide boulevard design of Beijing without the austerity. The markets seem constantly abuzz and local basket-weavers, cobblers and snack vendors make it a fun place to meander. Renmin Park just west of the city centre has teahouses ideal for soaking up a lazy afternoon. Over the pretty Jin River is the mammoth Sichuan Museum, and on the other side of town is the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, which makes for an easy cycling day trip. The province's best national park is Jiuzhaigou, a northern alpine paradise featuring several Tibetan settlements. For a more religious hiking experience, try the temple-hopping trek up the sacred mountain of Emeishan south of Chengdu. Virtually next door is the world's largest sacred fat bloke, the Grand Buddha. He gazes out across the pilgrim crowds near the town of Leshan.

Off the Beaten Track

Longgong Caves

Guizhou's awesome Longgong caves form a network through some 20 mountains and can be reached by charter boat from the town of Anshun - about 32km away. The caverns lie in Anshun county, at the Bouyei settlement of Longtan. A highlight is the water-filled cavern known as Dragon Cave. Other scenic caves in the vicinity include Daji Dong, Chuan Dong and Liniang Dong.

Weishan

Weishan in Yunnan Province is famous for the Taoist temples on nearby Mt Weibao. There are said to be some fine Taoist murals here. About 60km south of Xiaguan, it could be done as a day trip.

Western Sichuan

Much of this remote corner of Sichuan Province is inaccessible to all but the most intrepid traveller - but the snow-capped peaks, grasslands and glaciers of this Tibetan-flavoured terrain are well worth the trek. Ancient Chinese poetry has it that the roads of Sichuan are harder to travel than the road to heaven! Tibetans and Tibetan-related people (Qiang) live in the far north-west by herding yaks, sheep and goats on the high-altitude Kangba Plateau Grasslands.

Northern Hot Springs

About 50km north-east of Chongqing in Sichuan Province, the hot springs share a large park with a 5th-century Buddhist temple. The water temperature at the springs averages around 32 degrees Celsius and there's an Olympic-size swimming pool where you can bathe to an audience. There's another group of springs 20km south of Chongqing with hotter waters, but the northern group is said to be better.

Getting There & Getting Around

Flights to all four capitals of the south-west region are available from Beijing. The same goes for the train, which does a great job of linking the area and providing a more relaxed scenic alternative to the rather chaotic bus services. The land route from Pingxiang (Guangxi) to Vietnam has recently been made more accessible to tourists. Local transport, even in tourist-friendly Yunnan, can be crowded and time-consuming. If the distances aren't too great, renting a bike might be the best way of getting around in most places.

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