We landed in Guiyang in the evening, picked up the rental car from the airport parking garage, and stayed near the airport for the night. The real trip would start the next morning. My girlfriend and I had spent time before the trip building a fairly ambitious plan in Notion: Wujiang Village, Jiucaiping, National Azalea Park, Guanling ice potholes, Huangguoshu Falls, a day of hiking (Dasheng’s Eye, Niudao Rock, Wanfeng Top), caving in Huanglong Cave, Langde Miao Village, then back to Guiyang. The places were spread out and the drives were long, so we rented a car. The plan was detailed enough, but the trip still changed shape along the way. Some of those changes turned out to be the best parts.
Wujiang Village: Comfort Inside the Commercial Buzz
The next morning we wandered and ate a little in Guiyang before driving to Wujiang Village. Guizhou has no shortage of villages, and Wujiang is one of the grander, more polished ones. We chose it for its scale and scenery. It is entirely commercial, which many travelers see as a drawback. For us it was not. A more untouched village might preserve more of the everyday atmosphere of Miao life, but we wanted a smoother experience and a comfortable place to stay. Commercialization meant better service, more complete facilities, and less friction. That turned out to be true.
We booked a guesthouse inside the village. After registering at the visitor center, staff led us to the shuttle; someone from the guesthouse met us and helped with the luggage. We had a mountain-view room with a balcony window facing the central square and the river. Most of the village performances happen in that spot, so we could watch from the room.
Wandering around was the main activity. We like walking, so we spent the day drifting through streets, exploring corners, and stopping whenever something looked interesting. In the evening we watched a few performances. The next morning we took more photos and left for the next stop.
Sleeping in a Space Capsule on the Mountain
We skipped Jiucaiping that day. By the time we would have arrived, it would have been late, so we headed to National Azalea Park instead. It was not a conventional sightseeing stop for us; we had booked a hotel there that we liked, called Banshan Xingkong. It sits on a mountain at about 2,777 meters, if I remember correctly. The setting is comfortable and pretty, and there were plenty of campers around. The rooms are not inside a main building. Each is a separate space capsule. From outside, the cluster looks like a futuristic base on another planet, or an alien camp dropped onto Earth—very sci-fi.
Inside, everything was there: whole-room smart controls, a smart toilet, and a big floor-to-ceiling window. Open the curtains and the view is right there. I forgot to take pictures of the room.
By the time we checked in, the sun was close to setting. We walked up to the observation deck. Peak forests surrounded us; layered ridges stretched out; wind turbines did not feel out of place—they added something. We sat on the ground and talked. As it got dark, we cut back through the woods to the guesthouse and caught a bonfire. Spending a night in that setting felt different from the usual hotel stay.
Jiucaiping Had No Chive Flowers
The next morning we looked around the mountain a little, then left for Jiucaiping. There is not much to it beyond the landscape, but if you like high-altitude grassland and being close to nature, it is a comfortable place to be.
We took the sightseeing bus up. The ride was beautiful, with cows and horses scattered across the grass. Actual cows and horses, I mean—lying on the slopes, rolling around, living better than a lot of human “cows and horses.” The weather was good, but the sun was fierce. After getting off the bus we still had a short climb, so it was hot. At the top, though, the open green view and the wind made it worthwhile.
Going down, we took the cable car. I’m afraid of heights, so it was a little unnerving, but the scenery helped pull my attention away.
By then we had canceled Guanling ice potholes. Time was tight, and we had a full day of hiking coming up, so dropping it was fine. We set off for the guesthouse near Huangguoshu Falls.