Liupanshui City 六盘水市

Setting and landscape

The land falls from north-west to south-east, mostly between 1,400 and 1,900 metres, and is cut by deep valleys: the Sancha River (三岔河) drains the north towards the Yangtze, and the Beipan (北盘江) crosses the middle towards the Pearl. The city government gives its highest point as Jiucaiping (韭菜坪) in Dawan town (大湾镇), at 2,901 metres, and calls it the highest point in Guizhou. The China Meteorological Society named Liupanshui "China's Cool Capital" (中国凉都); summers at the city centre average 19.6°C.

History

Fossils of "Dadong Man" in Panxian (盘县), dated to about 300,000 years ago, and of "Shuicheng Man", about 200,000 years, show that people lived here early. The area belonged to Zangke (牂牁) in the Spring and Autumn period and to Yelang (夜郎) in the Warring States. In 1964 the state chose it as the main coal base for the south-west's Third Front, and steelworks, mines, a cement plant and a power station followed; the city was created on 18 December 1978, over the Liuzhi, Panxian and Shuicheng special districts.

What to see

The Guizhou Third Front Construction Museum (贵州三线建设博物馆), in Shuicheng Old Town (水城古镇) in Zhongshan District (钟山区), opened in 2013 as, in the city's words, China's first museum devoted to Third Front culture. The Wumeng Grassland (乌蒙大草原) in Panzhou (盘州市), at 2,000 to 2,857 metres, is described by the city as Guizhou's largest and highest natural grassland, with dwarf azaleas and a lake called Tianchi (天池). The city bills the Liuzhi Ecomuseum (六枝特区生态博物馆) as Asia's first ecomuseum; other rated sights include the Yeyuhai (野玉海) resort, the Tuole ancient ginkgo area (妥乐古银杏景区) and the Zangke River (牂牁江). Buyei pan songs (布依族盘歌) and the Miao lusheng dance (苗族芦笙舞) are on the national intangible-heritage list.

Food and local products

Shuicheng laoguo (水城烙锅), which the city dates to the Qing, is cooked on a domed black sandware griddle: stinky tofu around the rim, potato slices in the middle ring and meat on the crown, whose fat runs down to the edge. Shuicheng lamb rice noodles (水城羊肉粉), a breakfast since the early 1980s, top thrice-scalded rice noodles with thin lamb slices, chilli oil and Sichuan pepper; their making joined Guizhou's provincial intangible-heritage list in 2022. Panxian ham (盘县火腿) from Panzhou is salted, pressed and sun-dried for at least a year into a pipa shape.

Getting oriented

The Guiyang–Kunming, Nanning–Kunming, Neijiang–Kunming and Shuicheng–Hongguo railways meet here, the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed line crosses the city, and Liupanshui Yuezhao Airport (六盘水月照机场), about 10.5 kilometres from the centre, opened in 2014.

Highlights

• Guizhou Third Front Construction Museum 贵州三线建设博物馆: Museum of the Third Front build-up in Shuicheng Old Town, opened in 2013, with a steam locomotive and trucks outside.
• Wumeng Grassland 乌蒙大草原: Upland grassland in Panzhou at 2,000 to 2,857 m, with dwarf azaleas and the Tianchi lake.
• Liuzhi Ecomuseum 六枝特区生态博物馆: Billed by the city as Asia's first ecomuseum.
• Shuicheng laoguo 水城烙锅: Tofu, potatoes and meat seared on a domed black sandware griddle; dated by the city to the Qing.
• Shuicheng lamb rice noodles 水城羊肉粉: Breakfast noodles with thin lamb slices and chilli oil; provincial intangible heritage since 2022.
• Panxian ham 盘县火腿: Pipa-shaped ham salted, pressed and sun-dried for at least a year.