Libo County 荔波县

Setting and landscape

The land is high in the north and low in the south, from 1,468 metres on a secondary peak of Yueliang Mountain (月亮山) in the northeast to 300 metres where the Dagou River (打狗河) leaves the county. Mountains make up about 72 percent of the area. All rivers drain to the Pearl River (珠江); the largest system is the Dagou, which includes the main stream of the Zhang River (樟江).

The climate is warm and wet, with a mean of 18.5°C and most of the 1,212 mm of annual rain falling from April to September.

What to see

The Zhangjiang scenic area is rated 5A. One of its four sectors is Xiaoqikong (小七孔), 46.4 square kilometres of forest, caves, lakes and water, known as a "super bonsai". Its 21 sights include the old Xiaoqikong bridge, the Laya Waterfall (拉雅瀑布), a 68-step cascade, a forest standing in water and Yuanyang Lake (鸳鸯湖).

Daqikong (大七孔), 25 km south of the county town, takes its name from a seven-arched bridge over the Dagou River near Mengtang village (孟塘村). It is a landscape of primeval forest, gorges, underground streams and an underground lake, and at sights such as Fengshen Cave (风神洞) waterfalls drop into lakes inside the caves, with openings in the rock above.

The Maolan National Nature Reserve (茂兰国家级自然保护区) is a World Heritage area and a member of the world biosphere reserve network, with karst forest growing in closed sinkholes. Its Latan Waterfall (拉滩瀑布), about 70 metres high, is the largest in the reserve.

Yaoshan Old Village (瑶山古寨), a 4A scenic area, is presented as the only village in Guizhou where the Baiku Yao (白裤瑶) live together. It has earth-walled, thatched houses, a large bronze drum on its central square and clusters of old granaries.

History

In 970 the Song set up a loose-rein Libo Department here. Under the Ming it was merged into Guangxi and restored as a county in 1506, and it moved between Guangxi and Guizhou until 1732, when it was placed under Duyun Prefecture (都匀府). The county seat moved to today's town in 1737. Libo was merged into Dushan County in 1959 and restored in 1961. It is the home town of Deng Enming (邓恩铭), a delegate to the first congress of the Communist Party of China.

Buyei (布依族), Sui (水族), Miao (苗族) and Yao (瑶族) people live in the county. The Yao monkey-drum dance and the Buyei nuo opera are on the national intangible heritage list.

Highlights

• Xiaoqikong 小七孔: Sector of the 5A Zhangjiang scenic area with 21 sights, including the old Xiaoqikong bridge, Laya Waterfall and a 68-step cascade.
• Daqikong 大七孔: Forest, gorges and underground streams, named after a seven-arched bridge over the Dagou River.
• Maolan National Nature Reserve 茂兰国家级自然保护区: Karst forest in a World Heritage area; the Latan Waterfall falls about 70 metres.
• Yaoshan Old Village 瑶山古寨: 4A scenic area; described as Guizhou's only Baiku Yao village, with earth-walled houses and old granaries.