Guiding County 贵定县

Setting and landscape

The county is long and irregular from north to south, with Longli (龙里) to the north-west, Fuquan (福泉) to the north-east, Duyun (都匀) to the south-east and Kaiyang (开阳) facing it across a river to the north. Its average altitude is 1,000 to 1,300 metres, and Doupeng Mountain (斗篷山), at 1,961 metres, is the highest peak. The climate is humid and monsoonal, with fog on about 182 days a year. The Dumu River (独木河) is the county's largest river; its main branch, the Bailong River (摆龙河), belongs to the Wu River (乌江) system.

History

An earthen town called Maixin (麦新城) was built here in 961. The county was formed in 1608 from parts of Xingui County (新贵县), Dingfan Prefecture (定番州) and the Longli garrison, and its name joins the "Gui" of Xingui with the "Ding" of Dingfan. In 1687 the seat moved to the Xintian garrison (新添卫), today's county town. There the City God Temple (城隍庙), begun in 1392 and rebuilt after a fire in 1805, is described by the county as the largest and oldest in Guizhou; it is a west-facing wooden courtyard hall and a provincial protected site since 1999.

What to see

Jinhai Xueshan (金海雪山), a 4A scenic area in Panjiang Town (盘江镇), takes its name, "golden sea, snow mountain", from the rapeseed fields and white pear and plum blossom that flower together in March; its village has old ginkgo and cypress trees. The Dumu River scenic area in Xinba Town (新巴镇), 18 km from the county town, follows a river gorge between sheer peaks. The Bailong River national wetland park (摆龙河国家湿地公园) in Yanshan Town (沿山镇) includes the 40-metre Jiulongtan waterfall (九龙滩瀑布) and karst wetlands, and at Ding'er Mountain (顶耳山) paper is still made by the process described in the Ming book Tiangong Kaiwu (天工开物).

Changshanlong (长衫龙), a Miao lusheng dance found only in Gusa village (谷撒村), was placed on the first national intangible-heritage list in 2006. Dancers in long black gowns, with two pheasant feathers in their headdress, play the lusheng pipes as they dance; it was once performed only at funerals and village-god rites.

Food and local products

Guiding Xueya (贵定雪芽), "snow bud", is a curled, pan-fired green tea grown at the foot of Yunwu Mountain (云雾山). It is picked as one bud and one leaf and has snail-like curls covered in silver down. Xinba Town is known as the home of purple garlic.

Highlights

• Guiding City God Temple 贵定城隍庙: Begun in 1392; described by the county as the largest and oldest in Guizhou; provincial protected site.
• Jinhai Xueshan 金海雪山: 4A scenic area in Panjiang Town known for rapeseed and fruit blossom in March.
• Bailong River national wetland park 摆龙河国家湿地公园: Karst wetlands, the 40-metre Jiulongtan waterfall and traditional papermaking at Ding'er Mountain.
• Guiding Xueya tea 贵定雪芽: Curled green tea from the foot of Yunwu Mountain.