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Guiyang
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With a city of big, leafy parks, a richly diverse cultural makeup and year-round mild weather, it's little wonder that Guiyang's people are reputed among their fellow Chinese to be among China's mellowest. Guiyang people are friendly folks, it seems, who eat well, occasionally sleep in late, and are known to stay out late, too. And thought the reputation often holds true enough, Guiyang's vibrancy and modernity can be quite an eye opener, especially when you consider that it is the capital of one of the poorest and most isolated provinces in China.

A big part of Guiyang's current success story is the city's ability to balance nature and commerce--not something that many other parts of development-driven China can boast of. In fact, Guiyang is increasingly recognized nationally for its sustainability and "green" credentials, and does indeed offer visitors a number of easily accessible natural attractions either in or near the city.

Case in point: Qianling Park's 400 hectares (1000 acres) play host to trails, temples, a zoo and a population of wild macaques 500 strong, all right downtown. Not many cities the size of Guiyang (3 million) can make a claim like that.

2.5 kilometers south of downtown is the largest municipal forest park in China. The Guiyang Forest Park comprises 532 hectares (1,315 acres) of densely wooded azelea and maple forests full of pheasants, pangolins and hedgehogs. Historical sites are sprinkled throughout the part, including a hall dedicated to Sun Yat Sen, well-preserved ancient stele and cliff carvings, but 90% of the park remains protected forest.

Other Guiyang attractions within a 45-minute drive of downtown include the Hongfeng Lake Scenic Area, the Baihua Lake Scenic Area, Huaxi Park, the Tianhe Pool Scenic Area and finally, Xiangzhi Valley, where you can get aquainted with Bouyei ethnic customs.

History

Before the Yuan (Mongol) invasion of southwest China, Guiyang was little more than an army outpost lightly garrisoned by the Sui (581-618 AD) and Tang (618-907) dynasties as means of exerting some measure of control over the region's fiercely independent non-Han ethnic groups. The Mongols established a larger base, calling it Shunyuan--which translates, tellingly, into "obey the Yuan." The heavy hand of the Yuan opened the door to an influx of migration of Han Chinese from the north, weakening local Miao and Dong peoples (among others) and pushing them toward a minority status. 

Guiyang steadily developed into a prefecture over the course of the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, becoming an important administrative and commercial center that was divided into north and south districts populated largely by Sichuanese merchants in the "new" northand mercantile Guangdongese in the "old" south. The Miao rebelled regularly well into the 19th century, and were violently suppressed by Han and Manchurian Chinese forces every time.

Despite some economic development, Guiyang persisted in its role as underacheiver, remaining the isolated and underdeveloped capital of one of China's poorest provinces, even during the Second Sino-Japanese War when infrastructure was being built at a stunning pace in the north and on the coasts. 

Rail networks arrived later to Guiyang than most other major Chinese cities, but once completed, Guiyang began to modernize, though PRC policies carried out under the Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution and other Mao-inspired campaigns combined to keep the largely rural region in a state of poverty and backwardness that has been improving over the past two decades, and which shows promise of further improvement as Guiyang positions itself to thrive in an emerging "green" economy.

Climate

One of Guiyang's most marketable attributes is its mild weather, which doesn't get too hot or cold, in part thanks to its elevation. Summers don't get quite as steamy as those in Shanghai or Hong Kong though they remain on the humid side, and July averages come in at an exceptionally comfortable 24ºC, with January dipping to a bearable average of 5ºC.

Rainfall is a constant year round, though May-July sees the greatest amount of precipitation and you don't want to venture too far without an umbrella, even on sunny days. Monsoon rains can hit between September and February, but heavy monsoon precipitation is fairly rare.

 

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24-May-2012
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