Qianxi City 黔西市

History

Guanyindong (观音洞), a Palaeolithic cave found by the archaeologist Pei Wenzhong (裴文中) in 1964, has been a major national protected site since 2001. In 2018 researchers reported stone tools from the cave dated to roughly 170,000 to 80,000 years ago, some made with the Levallois technique, a reading that other scholars have challenged. The city government calls it a birthplace of early humans in southern China.

The Shuixi (水西) regime ruled here for fifteen centuries. Qianxi keeps the old post road of the Longchang Nine Posts (龙场九驿) linked with Lady Shexiang (奢香夫人), a Ming-era stateswoman, and an old Xiang shrine (象祠) tied to Wang Yangming's (王阳明) belief that no one is beyond teaching. Other sites include the Sanchu Palace (三楚宫), the Military Temple (武庙), the Shuixi old town (水西古城) and the Yachi River battle site. Qianxi is the home of Qian opera (黔剧), Guizhou's representative local opera; Wenqin opera (文琴戏), flower-lantern opera (花灯戏) and Tailai Yang opera (太来阳戏) are also part of its stage traditions.

What to see

The Wujiangyuan Baili gallery (乌江源百里画廊) is listed by the city as first among China's ten beautiful karst lakes. Shuixi Kehai National Wetland Park (水西柯海国家湿地公园), Guizhou's first wetland park built around a cluster of highland lakes, has more than 30 lakes set among pine woods. Other lakes and caves include Zhiga'alu Lake (支嘎阿鲁湖), Shuixi Cave (水西洞), Baxian Cave (八仙洞), Dongfeng Lake (东风湖) and Suofeng Lake (索风湖). Among its villages, Huawuji (化屋基) is called Guizhou's home of Miao song and dance.

Food and crafts

Local snacks include malacui (麻辣脆), Zhao Laowu's huangba rice cakes (赵老五黄粑), glutinous-rice cakes wrapped around tofu (糍粑包豆腐) and leicha rice cakes (擂茶糍粑). Crafts include bamboo-carved birdcages, root carving, batik, embroidery and paper cutting. Festivals range from the Yi torch festival and the Miao Tiaohua festival (跳花节) to the Manchu Banjin festival (颁金节).

Getting oriented

Five expressways and the Chengdu–Guiyang fast railway pass through the city, which the city government calls Bijie's eastern gateway.

Highlights

• Guanyindong 观音洞: Palaeolithic cave found in 1964; major national protected site since 2001.
• Shuixi Kehai National Wetland Park 水西柯海国家湿地公园: More than 30 highland lakes among pine woods; Guizhou's first wetland park of its kind.
• Longchang Nine Posts road 龙场九驿: Old post road linked with the Ming-era stateswoman Lady Shexiang.
• Qian opera 黔剧: Guizhou's representative local opera, which originated in Qianxi.