Southeast Guizhou Overview
Southeast Guizhou Things To Do
About Southeast Guizhou
Southeast Guizhou Travel Service
Location
Southeast Guizhou (Qiandongnan) Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture is located in the southeast of Guizhou Province. The prefecture adjoins Hunan Province to the east, Guangxi Autonomous Region to the south, Zhunyi and Tongren prefectures of Guizhou to the north, and South Guizhou (Qiannan) Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture to the west. It is a highly mountainous region with altitude ranging from 600m (1970 feet) at Kaili, capital of the prefecture, to around 2000m (6560 feet). The highest mountain may be Mt Leigong at 2178m (7146 feet).
Population
The prefecture has a population of 427.3 million, 80.7% of which are minority people. The prefecture has one city, its capital, Kaili, and 15 counties. It is home to 38 minority groups, including Miao, Dong, Han, Buyi, Shui, Yao, Zhuang and Tujia.
Tourism
It is home to 38 minority groups, with Miao (41%) and Dong (31%) being by far the largest. It is named by the United Nations as an important natural and cultural area and is known rather poetically as "the last ballad of humankind and the homeland for exhausted souls". Despite tough conditions for transportation, Southeast Guizhou is definitely an ideal area to experience the spectacularly distinctive folk customs and minority life amongst the picturesque limestone hills.
Travel Tips
- Traveling in winter, it can be quite cold, so travelers are advised to take good warm clothing, including a hat and gloves.
- Some of the footpaths into several of the villages can be quite muddy and slippery, so good footwear is essential. A second pair of sport pants is a good idea, as there is a lot of mud, and the occasional slip is almost inevitable.
- As the tour includes a fair amount of walking up and down steep mountain paths, a reasonable level of fitness is advisable.
- Hotels in small towns such as Rongjiang and Congjiang are of significantly lower standard. Heating is sometimes not available and western style toilets usually unavailable.
