Bulls going head to head

　　About 27 kilometers from Anshun and conveniently located on the way to the Huangguoshu Waterfalls is China's longest karst river cave, the 15 kilometer-long Dragon Palace (龙宫). A five-kilometer long boat ride into the cave takes visitors past an underground landscape of stalactites and stalagmites. Underground falls and imaginatively named sights await within the cave and the surrounding scenic area.

　　The traditional villages also offer a relaxed getaway from the city life. Some tour packages will include these villages with various performances and handicrafts demonstrations, but for a true glimpse of village life head to one of the villages on your own. Here visitors will see stone houses, water buffalos at work and farmers in their fields. Friendly villagers are accustomed to tourists and will offer smiles and handicrafts for sale.

　　The Goods on Guiyang

　　Guiyang's weather is mild throughout the year and the average temperature is about 15∶, with winter temperatures dipping to 4∶ and summers rarely exceeding 30∶ while the rest of China boils.

　　There are more than 30 ethnic groups in Guiyang with the Han Chinese, Miao and Buyi making up the majority. The many ethnic groups in Guiyang celebrate a multitude of traditional festivals. The dates of the festivities vary each year since they're based on the lunar calendar, but they are usually around April, May and July. Folk show performances, cultural displays and eating can be found throughout the city.

　　Food

　　Southwest China's cuisine is spicy with a tinge of sour. Most of the cuisine comes from the mountain bounty. Exotic fruits are plentiful. Try the local pears (刺梨) and Chinese gooseberries (猕猴桃).

　　Tofu balls (雷家豆腐园子) are deep-fried, flavourful, egg-sized balls of tofu. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, they're usually served as an appetizer. Spicy chicken (辣子鸡), is colorfully covered in dried chili peppers, but it's not as spicy as it looks. China doesn't have many salads, so take the opportunity to try the refreshing zhe'ergen (凉拌折耳根).

　　Head over to the snack street (小吃街) and eat your way up and down the street. The vendors here sell all kinds of local delicacies. The street is only open in the evenings, but it's open until late.

　　Souvenirs

　　Guiyang offers great souvenirs for visitors: Wax-dyed fabrics (蜡染) are a local handicraft using nature and animal motifs. Designs are drawn onto the fabric with wax then dipped in dye and a beautiful pattern is revealed when the wax is removed. They cost from 50-100 yuan, with framed pieces around 200 yuan each. Traditional Miao embroideries (苗族刺绣) that come in geometric patterns are a bargain at 150-200 yuan. Unique pieces of art made entirely of plants range from a few yuan to a few thousand.

　　You can do all your souvenir shopping at Qiancui Hang (贵州黔粹行) at 48 Beijing Lu (北京路48号, 685 3718), the Dachanglong Shopping Center (大昌隆购物中心) at 26 Jiefang Lu (解放路26号, 575 9822). The Shixi Trade Street (市西商业街) is a good place to go browsing.