Guiyang

Where to eat in Guiyang

Wandering around downtown Guiyang you’ll find plenty of places to eat at reasonable prices. There are also street food and fresh fruit vendors on virtually every corner.

Finding traditional Guizhou and Miao food isn’t difficult. However, it’s a good idea to start your flavor crusade with one of the most well-known purveyors of excellent, authentic Guizhou cuisine, Siheyyan.

Siheyuan (四合院) 

This place is so popular that it’s overtaken several of the surrounding alleyways to squeeze in as many tables as possible. You’ll find it opposite the large Protestant Church with the red cross on Qianling Lu.

Address: 79 West Qianling Road Road, Yunyan District (云岩区干陵西路79)

Old Kaili Sour Fish Restaurant (老凯俚酸汤鱼)

Another Guiyang institution (you can guess what the specialty is here), this restaurant has several branches. The Shengfu Road branch is particularly popular and arguably the most tourist-friendly option. The atmosphere is buzzing and the fish soup is top-notch.

Address: 55 Shengfu Road, Yunyan District (云岩区省府路55号)

Toufeng Bean Hotpot (土风豆米火锅店)

Bean hotpot is an authentic Guiyang hotpot with a broth of kidney bean seeds, Chinese sauerkraut, cured meat, pork fat, pickled pepper, garlic shoots and green onions.

Unlike most hotpots, this version isn’t doused with chili. It’s safe for the spice phobic! The flavor is unique, balanced and incredibly tasty.

This famous restaurant has a rustic storefront and timber furniture, giving off a charming village-like vibe in a busy part of town.

Address: 35 Qianling East Road, Yunyan District (云岩区黔灵东路35号)

Night food markets in Guiyang

Night markets are hugely popular in Guiyang.

If the city center seems a little empty in the evening, it’s probably because the student and worker hordes have dispersed into suburbia to feast at their favorite night markets.

A typical night market includes innumerable grilled-meat-on-stick stalls, dumplings, all sorts of noodle concoctions, stir fries, mini hotpots and all kinds of unusual delicacies from Guizhou’s ethnic communities.

Night markets are spread across the city, usually in suburban areas. From downtown, hop in a taxi and try some of these popular evening haunts:

Hequn Road Night Market, Yunyan District (合群路小吃夜市)

An ordinary street by day lit up by a kaleidoscope of bright lights by night, Hequn Road is one of the biggest and busiest night markets in Guiyang. Located close to Qianling Park, some stalls stay open until 3 am!

You’ll find all the famous street snacks from Guizhou like Huaxi beef noodles and candied hawthorn berries, as well as more unusual specialties such as snake meat.

The buzzing, youthful atmosphere makes Hequan a great place to spend a night out.

Xingguan Road Snack Night Market (兴关路小吃夜市)

Smaller and slightly more low-key than Hequan, Xingguan stil offers plenty of variety. Favorites from Guizhou and around southeastern China are represented here.

The market is known for its quality selection of grilled meats and seafood, like freshwater fish, crayfish and field snails, all at cheap prices.

Where to stay in Guiyang

Budget

Still catering more towards business than tourism, the super low-priced hotels found in other Chinese cities are rare in Guiyang.

A few hostels are beginning to pop up however, including February of That Year Hostel. It’s a good-value offering, with colorful, well-equipped, air-conditioned private rooms and dorms, and a friendly young team of staff.

The only problem is it’s located in the Hua Guo Yuan District, which is a long walk from the center of town.

While there are some restaurants and shops in the immediate vicinity, you might prefer to use the shuttle bus that ferries guests to and from the downtown area.

Mid range

The Howard Johnson Plaza was once one of the plushest digs in town.

Now looking slightly old-fashioned, it’s easily one of the best bargains in Guiyang. The rooms are huge and spotless and the service is kind and obliging.

It’s a quick taxi ride to the center of town, and only a short walk to Qianling Park. So, if you want to experience the atmosphere of the park in the early morning, this hotel makes a good choice.

High end

The Sofitel Guiyang Hunter has a plush mix of rooms and executive suites, many with dramatic mountain views.

Unlike a lot of other upscale hotels, it’s also reasonably close to downtown and the Yunyan restaurant district. It has pretty much everything you’d expect – a pool, a day spa, and a 55^th floor cocktail lounge with superb city views.

It also boasts the upmarket Le Chinois Restaurant, which specializes in Sichuan and Cantonese cuisine.

Transport to and from Guiyang

You’ll most likely arrive in Guiyang from elsewhere in China, either by air, rail or the slow, scenic option – by road.

High-speed rail

• As the central hub for the rest of Guizhou, high-speed trains link Guiyang to other major cities in Guizhou such as Anshsun and Kaili. From these cities, you can venture out further to ethnic minority villages.
• High-speed rail lines now connect Guiyang to other major Chinese tourist/business destinations in southern China like Kunming (2-3 hours) and Guilin (2.5-3.5 hours).
• Around 30 high speed trains depart Guiyang for Guangzhou, completing the journey in around 4 hours.
• The new high-speed rail between Guiyang and Shanghai runs 8 times a day and cuts the former 27-hour trip to just 8.5 hours.
• Fast trains now also connect Guiyang and Xi’an, about 750 miles (1,200 km) away. You can make the trip in 14 hours.

Air transport

The compact Guiyang International Airport connects Guiyang to major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou.

You can fly with a number of domestic Chinese airlines including the local carrier, Colorful Guizhou Airlines.

International flights to Guiyang are growing little by little. In 2014, Hainan Airlines kicked off weekly flights to Paris. There are daily flights to and from Hong Kong (two hours).

Long-distance bus

Long distance buses are still the only way to reach destinations in the more remote southwestern parts of Guizhou, such as Weining and Cao Hai Lake.

If you’re on a budget, they’re also extremely cheap. Long distance coaches are surprisingly convenient and comfortable, and the much-improved expressway network in this region has made road travel more accessible than ever.

Getting around in Guiyang

Taxis

For getting around town, taxis remain super convenient. Almost 8,000 taxis operate in the city.

Guiyang is also building a fleet of eco-friendly taxis, now numbering around 200.

Hailing a cab on the street is easy and fares are cheap. Just be aware of traffic jams during peak times.

Rideshare

DiDi is China’s equivalent to Uber.

To ride in one of the countless DiDi cars in Guiyang, download DiDi and these other China apps to your phone.

Public buses

For short-distance travel to tourist hot spots like Tianhe Scenic Area, public buses are inexpensive, if a little confusing at first. You can always write down where you want to go and ask a friendly local for help.

For example, to get to Tianhe from downtown, look for the 211 bus which leaves from Binhe Park.

Jinyang Tourist Bus Station

This takes visitors to other major locations in Guizhou such as the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall (2 hours, departing every 45 minutes) and Anshun City (60-90 minutes, departing every 20-30 minutes).

Around Guiyang

There are plenty of things to do outside the city. Here are just a couple.

Ethnic minority villages

If you want to visit the ethnic minority villages, Guiyang is a great place to begin your journey.

Unlike Guangxi province to the south, where many villages have been developed to cater for tourism, Guizhou province sees far fewer visitors. Many of the Miao, Dong, Shiu and Bouyei communities here have retained a traditional way of life.

Guided tours are available from Guiyang with advanced bookings, although the adventurous can visit many of the villages by a combination of public buses and short hikes through some absolutely breathtaking scenery.

Some of the larger villages have guesthouses available for overnight stays. Just remember to be mindful of the local culture and customs and you’ll find the vast majority of the locals to be warm, friendly and curious towards visitors.

Ethnic folk festivals

If you visit in the late summer, you might be lucky enough to witness the annual buffalo fighting festival held throughout several Dong villages.

Each minority group celebrates dozens of religious and folk festivals throughout the year. Full of elaborate traditional costumes, song, dance and ritual, it’s well worth timing your visit to coincide with a major festival.

Videos about Guiyang

Here’s a quirky video of just how nice and modern Guiyang is.

And here’s another helpful video showing how cheap Guiyang can be.