Things To Do in Xingyi

Despite its pleasant climate, Xingyi town has little to offer overseas tourists except its proximity to the wonderful Jilongbao Resort, a much more suitable base than any of the hotels in this highly polluted and very provincial city. Downtown is a carbon copy of just about every other dirty, modern Chinese town, but the countryside is stunning.

Exploring Wangfeng Lake

Most of the trials and tribulations of travel in Guizhou Province can be avoided by using the Jilongbao resort as a base to explore. Time is a precious commodity when your holiday is only a few weeks long, and the opportunity to avoid long bus journeys and dodgy accommodation is good reason to do your exploring in a more concentrated area. If you decide to spend five days in northern Guizhou, bank on at least 50% of the time being taken up with hair-raising bus journeys between villages. Here at Jilongbao, all that needless transportation can be completely avoided. Apart from a drive around the Wangfeng scenic area or a boat ride across to the mini three gorges (Xiao Shan Xian), stop off to explore Skeleton Island and maybe have lunch on one of the converted boats and Hong Chun Matou (dock). Spicy lake fish comes in at ¥30 per half kilo (jing), and the baby pumpkin soup is delicious. Make sure you bring plenty of sunscreen. It is a vein-bursting yomp back up the hill from Jilongbao to the main approach road, but this is a great place to start exploring. Half an hour back up the road is a huge tiankeng, usually hidden away at the back of Long Tan Village. Ancient mule tracks crisscross the countryside here and the road beside the school winds slowly up to charming village of Yangping, complete with ancient wooden houses, friendly locals, and fresh mountain air. If you want to come down the most direct descent from the village to the resort, get one of the locals to escort you as the path is unbelievably steep and treacherous. For a culinary change of pace, about a 20 minute walk from Jilongbao is the Shan Li Ren Jia farmer's restaurant (tel. 1390/859-1055), a simple farmhouse in a spectacular boulder-strewn valley -- it appears the gods have been playing liar dice with the huge rocks here. The boss's wife (laobanyang) is super friendly and can even speak a little English. Join her in the garden to pick some fresh vegetables, check out the fig tree in the backyard, and ask her to fry up some of her delicious potato chips (za shu pian). Further afield (about 40 min. by car from Jilongbao) is the ancestral home of Kuomintang General He Yin Qin, currently being restored along with its very own stone forest gardens. Nan Long Gu Zai is an ancient Buyi minority village about 25km (15 miles) from Jilongbao, although it feels much longer while the new road is still under construction. Behind large wooden gates, the village has almost stood still in time. Thousand-year-old banyan trees punctuate stilt houses with horses and livestock kept below. The staff at the resort can help you to organize a trip.