Get to know Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
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- Administrative area
- Autonomous prefecture · 自治州
- Part of
- Guizhou
- Chinese name
- 黔南布依族苗族自治州
- Local areas
- 12 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 26,191.79 km²
- Population · 2010
- 3,232,714
- Administrative seat
- Duyun
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The Miao Mountains (苗岭) and the Mashan range (麻山) run through the prefecture, which lies in the upper basins of the Yangtze and the Pearl at an average altitude of 997 metres, with a warm, humid subtropical monsoon climate. Its karst includes the Libo World Natural Heritage site (荔波世界自然遗产地), which takes in the Maolan nature reserve (茂兰) and the Big and Small Seven Arches (大、小七孔) scenic areas, and the Pingtang sinkhole group (平塘天坑群).
History and culture
The prefecture places the area's early history in Zangke (牂牁) under the Shang and Zhou and Yelang (夜郎) under the Qin and Han, and the prefecture names the Bamboo King City (竹王城) in Fuquan (福泉市) as the only surviving relic of the Yelang state. The Han scholar Yin Zhen (尹珍) taught here, in what the prefecture calls the first official school in the south-west. On the Long March the Red Army forced the Wu River at Weng'an (瓮安县), and Zhou Enlai called the Houchang Conference (猴场会议), held in the prefecture, "the eve of the great turning point". Sandu (三都水族自治县) is China's only Shui autonomous county and Kapu (卡蒲) its only Maonan township. The prefecture counts Duyun Maojian tea making (都匀毛尖茶制作技艺) as world-level intangible heritage, alongside national items such as Buyei "Haohuahong" songs (好花红调) and Shui horsetail embroidery (水族马尾绣).
What to see
FAST, the 500-metre radio telescope known as the "China Sky Eye" (中国天眼), which the prefecture calls the world's largest single-dish telescope, was built in the Dawodang karst depression of Kedu town (克度镇), Pingtang County (平塘县), and completed in 2016. Zenlei (怎雷) and Zhangbu (掌布) are among the prefecture's nationally listed traditional villages.
Food and local products
Dushan (独山县) is known for its "three sours" (独山三酸), shrimp sour, salt sour and stinking sour, and its salt-sour braised pork (盐酸扣肉) is the showpiece of the local table. Libo sour pork (荔波酸肉) is thin-sliced pork mixed with salt, Sichuan pepper and toasted glutinous rice and packed into a jar smoked with rice straw. For festivals and guests the Shui of Sandu split a carp along the back, stuff it with Chinese chives and chestnuts, tie it with rice straw and steam it for about ten hours (鱼包韭菜). Duyun chongchong cake (都匀冲冲糕) is glutinous rice steamed by a jet of steam in a bamboo tube.
Getting oriented
The Guiyang–Guangzhou, Shanghai–Kunming and Guiyang–Nanning high-speed railways cross the prefecture, and Libo has an airport. Besides Duyun and Fuquan, the prefecture has ten counties.
Highlights
- Libo karst 荔波喀斯特: World Natural Heritage site taking in the Maolan reserve and the Big and Small Seven Arches scenic areas.
- FAST (China Sky Eye) 中国天眼: 500-metre radio telescope in a karst depression of Kedu town, Pingtang County, completed in 2016.
- Pingtang sinkhole group 平塘天坑群: Cluster of karst sinkholes described in the prefecture's overview.
- Bamboo King City 竹王城: Site in Fuquan named by the prefecture as the only surviving relic of the Yelang state.
- Fish stuffed with chives 鱼包韭菜: Shui dish of Sandu: carp stuffed with chives and chestnuts, tied with straw and steamed about ten hours.
- Duyun chongchong cake 都匀冲冲糕: Glutinous-rice cake steamed by a jet of steam in a bamboo tube.
Sources for this guide
黔南州人民政府门户网站 - 黔南州概况 · Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture People's Government
黔南州人民政府门户网站 - 历史沿革 · Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture People's Government
黔南州人民政府门户网站 - 自然地理 · Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture People's Government
荔波世界自然遗产地 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
500米口径球面射电望远镜 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
寻味贵州 “必吃榜”更新丨黔南美食风味出圈 - 贵州省人民政府 · Guizhou Provincial People's Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-10-01.
Explore Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Zenlei Shui Village 怎雷水族村寨
China Sky Eye Science Centre 中国天眼科普基地
Zhangbu Scenic Area 掌布
Fuquan Ancient City 福泉古城
Daxiaojing Scenic Area 大小井
Daqikong Scenic Area 大七孔
Xiaoqikong Scenic Area 小七孔
Yaoshan Ancient Yao Village 瑶山古寨
Doupeng Mountain 斗篷山
Duyun Maojian Tea Mountains 都匀毛尖茶山
Shenquan Valley 神泉谷
Duyun City 都匀市
Fuquan City 福泉市
Libo County 荔波县
Guiding County 贵定县
Weng'an County 瓮安县
Dushan County 独山县
Pingtang County 平塘县
Luodian County 罗甸县
Changshun County 长顺县
Longli County 龙里县
Huishui County 惠水县
Sandu Shui Autonomous County 三都水族自治县
Places to explore around Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
Zenlei Shui Village · 怎雷水族村寨Zenlei Shui Village怎雷水族村寨
Zenlei (怎雷水族村寨) is a hillside village of Shui and Miao households in Dujiang town, Sandu Shui Autonomous County, in the Qiannan prefecture of southern Guizhou, some 41 kilometres from the county seat at an average elevation of 650 metres. Its old building group of pile-built timber houses and grain stores has been a provincial-level protected cultural relic unit since 2010.
Read the place guide →
China Sky Eye Science Centre · 中国天眼科普基地China Sky Eye Science Centre中国天眼科普基地
The China Sky Eye science-popularisation complex (中国天眼科普基地) is the public side of the scenic area at Kedu town in Pingtang County, southern Guizhou, built around the Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical radio Telescope known as FAST. The scenic area covers 3.47 square kilometres and falls into two zones, the Pingtang astronomy town and the Sky Eye sightseeing area.
Read the place guide →
AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非该地点实拍）Zhangbu Scenic Area掌布
Zhangbu (掌布) is a karst gorge scenic area in Zhangbu town, Pingtang County, in the Qiannan prefecture of southern Guizhou, about 65 kilometres from the county seat. It covers some 10 square kilometres along the Langma river reach of the upper Caodu river and is rated a national AAAA scenic area.
Read the place guide →
Fuquan Ancient City · 福泉古城Fuquan Ancient City福泉古城
Fuquan Old City (福泉古城) is the historic walled quarter of Fuquan, a county-level city administered by the Qiannan prefecture in central Guizhou, built up around a Ming-dynasty city wall described in a 2026 feature as roughly 600 years old. The wall and its associated Small West Gate water-city works have been restored as the quarter's core historic structures.
Read the place guide →
Daxiaojing Scenic Area · 大小井Daxiaojing Scenic Area大小井
Daxiaojing (大小井) is a provincial-level scenic area in Moyang town, Luodian County, in the Qiannan prefecture of southern Guizhou, named for Dajing and Xiaojing, two Buyi villages either side of the Dajing river. It covers about 38 square kilometres in Dongdang community, 23 kilometres east of the county town and about 30 kilometres from what the county feature calls the world's largest radio telescope.
Read the place guide →
A suspension footbridge over a turquoise pool at the Daqikong Scenic Area scenic area, Libo County · 荔波大七孔景区，吊桥与碧潭 Source-recorded photograph date: 26 March 2024 (according to Exif data).Daqikong Scenic Area大七孔
Daqikong (大七孔) is a gorge district of the Zhangjiang scenic area in Libo County, in the Qiannan prefecture of southern Guizhou, three kilometres from the neighbouring Xiaoqikong district and different in character. Its landmarks are a natural bridge left by a collapsed cave roof and the Qing bridge the district is named after.
Read the place guide →
The seven-arch stone bridge and green river in Xiaoqikong Scenic Area, Libo · 荔波小七孔古桥与河水Xiaoqikong Scenic Area小七孔
Xiaoqikong (小七孔) is a karst river district in the south-west of Libo County, in the Qiannan prefecture of southern Guizhou, about 28 kilometres from the county town. It covers roughly 46.4 square kilometres and is one of the four districts of the Zhangjiang scenic area.
Read the place guide →
Yaoshan Ancient Yao Village · 瑶山古寨Yaoshan Ancient Yao Village瑶山古寨
Yaoshan (瑶山古寨) is a Baiku Yao settlement taking in Lapian and Gulei villages in Yaoshan Yao township, Libo County, in the Qiannan prefecture of southern Guizhou, about 35 kilometres from the county town and some 3 kilometres from the Xiaoqikong scenic area. It covers 3.6 square kilometres and has become a 4A-grade scenic area.
Read the place guide →
Doupeng Mountain · 斗篷山Doupeng Mountain斗篷山
Doupeng Mountain (斗篷山) is the primeval-forest district of the Duyun Doupeng Mountain-Jianjiang scenic area, in the Qiannan prefecture of southern Guizhou. Its peak stands 1,961 metres above sea level, described by the provincial CPPCC newspaper as the highest point in southern Guizhou.
Read the place guide →
Duyun Maojian Tea Mountains · 都匀毛尖茶山Duyun Maojian Tea Mountains都匀毛尖茶山
Duyun's Maojian tea mountains are centred on the Luosike range west of the city, a 1,738-metre peak that faces Doupeng Mountain across the river and is described as the second-highest peak in the Qiannan prefecture of southern Guizhou. A belt of tea gardens some 100,000 mu in extent runs along the range from Gantang town to Baimang township, called locally the 'hundred-li Maojian corridor.'
Read the place guide →
Shenquan Valley · 神泉谷Shenquan Valley神泉谷
Shenquangu (神泉谷) is a leisure and tourism resort in the Wuma river valley at Weiyuan community, Changzhai subdistrict, Changshun County, in the Qiannan prefecture of southern Guizhou, rated a national AAA scenic area. It runs about 8.8 kilometres along the river from Weiyuan tidal spring in the east to Qinglong pool in the west.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture local specialties
黔南布依族苗族自治州特色美食 · 11 specialties to discover
Dushan fermented-shrimp sour beef 独山虾酸牛肉AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
Expect a pronounced fermented aroma, acidity and chilli warmth with tender beef. The flavour is deliberately assertive.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Duyun chongchong steamed cakes 都匀冲冲糕AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
The cakes are soft and grainy-fluffy rather than a smooth jelly. Sweet fillings create a richer centre.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Luodian lotus-leaf cakes 罗甸荷叶粑AI dish illustration / AI 菜品示意图
Expect a soft or chewy grain texture with a mild leaf fragrance. The filling determines whether it functions as a sweet or savoury snack.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Duyun Pork-Filled Rice Rolls 都匀肉卷粉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Duyun Pork-Filled Rice Rolls (都匀肉卷粉) are a street snack of Duyun (都匀) in Qiannan (黔南) prefecture, Guizhou: steamed rice sheets rolled up with minced meat, chopped spring onion and green chilli and eaten with a house sauce.
Read the dish guide →
Dushan pork with sour greens 独山盐酸菜扣肉AI illustration · AI 示意图
Soft, rich meat contrasts with the more textured greens and a tangy-salty sauce. The preserved vegetable is a defining ingredient rather than an interchangeable garnish.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Libo Sour-Cured Meat 荔波酸肉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Libo Sour-Cured Meat (荔波酸肉) is thinly sliced raw meat cured in a sealed jar with toasted millet or rice, a traditional food of the Buyi (布依族) people around Lianshanwan (联山湾) in Libo (荔波) County, Guizhou.
Read the dish guide →
Weng'an Spicy Chicken Rice Noodles 瓮安辣鸡粉AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Weng'an Spicy Chicken Rice Noodles (瓮安辣鸡粉) are the breakfast bowl of Weng'an (瓮安) county in Qiannan (黔南), Guizhou: chicken cooked with chilli paste and then simmered for two hours, spooned over locally made dried rice noodles.
Read the dish guide →
Fuquan Duck Stewed with Konjac 福泉魔芋炖鸭AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Fuquan Duck Stewed with Konjac (福泉魔芋炖鸭) is listed among the local specialties of Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou. The name includes 鸭 (duck), 芋 (taro). 炖 describes slow simmering.
Read the dish guide →All dish names · 全部菜名 (11)
- Dushan fermented-shrimp sour beef · 独山虾酸牛肉
- Duyun chongchong steamed cakes · 都匀冲冲糕
- Luodian lotus-leaf cakes · 罗甸荷叶粑
- Duyun Pork-Filled Rice Rolls · 都匀肉卷粉
- Dushan pork with sour greens · 独山盐酸菜扣肉
- Libo Sour-Cured Meat · 荔波酸肉
- Weng'an Spicy Chicken Rice Noodles · 瓮安辣鸡粉
- Fuquan Duck Stewed with Konjac · 福泉魔芋炖鸭
- Pingtang Jar-Braised Fish · 平塘坛子鱼
- Buyi Five-Color Sticky Rice · 布依五色糯米饭
- Sandu Fish Stuffed with Chives · 三都鱼包韭菜
More dishes from across Guizhou are in the Guizhou food guide.
Counties & districts in Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture
12 areas belong directly to Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.
12 areas
Duyun City 都匀市
Duyun (simplified Chinese: 都匀; traditional Chinese: 都勻; pinyin: Dūyún) is the capital city of Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou province, China.
Explore the area →County-level cityFuquan City 福泉市
Fuquan is a county-level city in east-central Guizhou province, China.
Explore the area →CountyLibo County 荔波县
Libo County (simplified Chinese: 荔波县; traditional Chinese: 荔波縣; pinyin: Lìbō Xiàn) is a county of southern Guizhou province, China, bordering Guangxi to the south.
Explore the area →CountyGuiding County 贵定县
Guiding County (simplified Chinese: 贵定县; traditional Chinese: 貴定縣; pinyin: Guìdìng Xiàn) is a county of south-central Guizhou, China.
Explore the area →Show fewer areas
Weng'an County 瓮安县
Weng'an County (simplified Chinese: 瓮安县; traditional Chinese: 甕安縣; pinyin: Wèng'ān Xiàn) is a county in Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou, China.
Explore the area →CountyDushan County 独山县
Dushan County (simplified Chinese: 独山县; traditional Chinese: 獨山縣; pinyin: Dúshān Xiàn; lit. 'independent mountain') is a county of 346,000 people (2007) in Guizhou province, China.
Explore the area →CountyPingtang County 平塘县
Pingtang County is a county in the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou province, China, bordering Guangxi to the south.
Explore the area →CountyLuodian County 罗甸县
Luodian County (simplified Chinese: 罗甸县; traditional Chinese: 羅甸縣; pinyin: Luódiàn Xiàn) (Bouyei language: Lachos xianq) is a county under the administration of Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in…
Explore the area →CountyChangshun County 长顺县
Changshun County (simplified Chinese: 长顺县; traditional Chinese: 長順縣; pinyin: Chángshùn Xiàn) is a county of Guizhou, China. It is under the administration of the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.
Explore the area →CountyLongli County 龙里县
Longli County (simplified Chinese: 龙里县; traditional Chinese: 龍里縣) is a county of the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in central Guizhou Province, China.
Explore the area →CountyHuishui County 惠水县
Huishui is a county of south-central Guizhou province, China. It is under the administration of the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.
Explore the area →Autonomous countySandu Shui Autonomous County 三都水族自治县
Sandu Shui Autonomous County is an autonomous county in the southeast of Guizhou province, China. It is under the administration of the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, and the only Shui…
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 黔南布依族苗族自治州 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Zenlei Shui Village and China Sky Eye Science Centre are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Guizhou →More in Guizhou
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 荔波世界自然遗产地 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against 500米口径球面射电望远镜 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Zenlei Shui Village · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: China Sky Eye Science Centre · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Fuquan Ancient City · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Daxiaojing Scenic Area · Glabb · CC BY-SA 3.0. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Daqikong Scenic Area · FN-082 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Xiaoqikong Scenic Area · FN-082 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full source framing retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or subject alteration. Card displays may crop the view.
Photo: Yaoshan Ancient Yao Village · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Doupeng Mountain · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Duyun Maojian Tea Mountains · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
Photo: Shenquan Valley · Source photographer · License not provided. EXIF orientation normalized; resized without changing aspect ratio; converted to WebP. No subject edits.
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