Pre-planning for Guizhou
I am planning for my Spring 2026 Tea Tour. We will be visiting tea producers in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces of Southern China. Following is some research about our first stops. I did some reading on species at risk, tea types, cultural sites, and ecotourism.[1] Because the focus of this trip is on tea and tea production, our itinerary is oriented around visiting tea farms. There isn’t a lot of time for sightseeing, but I wanted to get a feel for the area and what is available. There is some flexibility in the schedule as weather may make climbing tea terraces or processing tea leaves impossible - so there are some built in options.
The southwestern province of Guizhou in China.
by TUBS - CC BY-SA 3.0
Guizhou is famous for the traditional rural villages of the Miao and Dong peoples. It is a very mountainous region with stunning landscapes and caves. “Guizhou's economy has historically relied on a few industries like tobacco, timber, energy, and mining. Its natural industry includes timber and forestry. Guizhou is also the third largest producer of tobacco in China, and home to the well-known brand Guizhou Tobacco.”[2] They produced a fascinating product, ‘Tea-Flavored Cigarettes’.[3]
Duyun Mao Jian (都匀毛尖) is a famous green tea produced in the area of Duyun, in southeastern Guizhou.[4] Chinese tea processing was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2022. This is our first planned tea producer stop. We will be learning how this tea is made. There is a 2021 video on YouTube by Sergey Moychay about this tea that gives a broad overview.
Camellia sinensis (tea plant)
Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen (1867)
While the schedule of our Tea Tour focuses on tea (cultivars, growing methods, picking, production, tasting), I am hoping that we will get to explore some of the cultural/natural areas of Guizhou. We are definitely planning to go to see a famous heritage village of one of the larger minority groups in the province, the Miao.
Xijiang Qian Hu Miao Zhai
This is a heritage village of the minority Miao people. This traditional village is built on wooden stilts and maintains the customs and traditions of the Miao. The town relies heavily on tourism and Chinese herbal medicine. “In 2016, the town was listed among the first group of "Distinctive Towns in China" and in 2017 it was inscribed to the National Civilized Villages and Towns's List.” [5]
Ancient Tea Horse Road
There is a basic description of the ancient road that passed through the mountains of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet in Southwest China. [6] However, the description of a road (singular) can be confusing as it was more a network of many routes leading from China to deliver tea to the west. For tea aficionados like myself, this route is almost as important as the Great Wall or the Silk Road. We are planning a visit to see part of the Tea Horse Road while in Guizhou.
I highly recommend the video of Canadian explorer Jeff Fuchs, who has spent years traveling and documenting the route. [7]
Cuisine
The unique taste of Guizhou cuisine is on the emphasis of both spicy and sour flavours.
“There is an ancient local saying, “Without eating a sour dish for three days, people will stagger with weak legs”. The saying reflects how Guizhou people love local dishes with a sour taste.”
Ok, they also have something called Thousand Chili🌶️ Chicken [8] (Guìzhōu làzǐ jī) that is a specialty of Guizhou. As someone who loves hot and spicy food…this sounds like a perfect dish for me to try.
Other sites in Guizhou that it is famous for follows.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Guizhou
Tusi Sites (Hailongtun Fortress) (2015) [9]
Fanjingshan (2018)
South China Karst (inscribed in 2007)
Hailongtun Fortress (Sea Dragon Castle)
Photo: Alphaarea (2017)- CC BY-SA 4.0
There is also an online List of Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Guizhou that provides many details in English. [10]
Huangguoshu Waterfall
Huangguoshu Scenic Area has been on the World Heritage Sites Tentative List since 2019 as a mixed (cultural/natural) area. The description of the area includes Huangguoshu Waterfall, Dishuitan Waterfall, and Gaodang Ancient Village.
Huanghuoshu Waterfall “(黄果树瀑布) Huáng Guǒshù Pùbù means 'Yellow-Fruit Tree Waterfalls'. The main waterfall, at 67 m high and 83.3 m wide, is the biggest waterfall in Asia.”[11]
Huangguoshu Waterfall in the town of Huangguoshu, Zhenning Buyei and Miao Autonomous County, Guizhou, China.
Photo: Huangdan2060 taken on October 22, 2020.
Huajiang Canyon Bridge
The Huajiang Canyon Bridge is a suspension bridge that was just recently opened (September 2025), and is the world’s highest bridge with a height from the deck to the bottom of the gorge at 625 metres. [12] I don’t believe this is a planned site visit, but perhaps we will get a glimpse.
The Huajiang Canyon Bridge over the Beipanjiang in Guizhou, China. Photo: Glabb (2025) - CC BY-SA 3.0
I will be writing a separate post about my pre-trip research for Yunnan. I promise to share where we went and what we saw upon my return.
[1] I recommend these videos: New China TV (2024) Documentary | Guizhou: Green as Gold.
[2] Guizhou - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guizhou
[3] Tobacco Asia (2018) China: Tea-Flavored Cigarettes Take Off. Posted online September 19, 2018.
[4] List of Chinese Teas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_teas; Guizhou, China (2022) Guizhou's tea-frying technique included in UNESCO cultural heritage list. Updated 2022-12-02.; UNESCO (2022)Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China. https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/traditional-tea-processing-techniques-and-associated-social-practices-in-china-01884
[5] Qian Hu Miao Zhai - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xijiang,_Guizhou
[6] Tea Horse Road - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Horse_Road
[7] Experiential Star (2016) Ancient Tea Horse Road. Video posted to YouTube October 15, 2016. See also https://www.jefffuchs.com/
[8] Thousand Chili Chicken - The Food Ranger (2026) Chinese Street Food Heaven: 14 Hour Chinese Food Tour in Guizhou, China! and https://baike.baidu.com/en/item/Guiyang%20Spicy%20Chicken/79091
There is also a wonderful video of food markets in Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou by DaWen Food Quest - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRmXUivWR8k
[9] Hailongtun ‘Sea Dragon Castle’ - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hailongtun
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_National_Historical_and_Cultural_Sites_in_Guizhou
