Blogs from Xijiang, Guizhou, China, Asia

Today, I must find out in what place the taxi dropped me last night. Furtunately I still found a bedroom at 2:00AM, and I had a good rest But what town is this? Also, I must clarify in what town the hotel I booked should be. It's all very confuse... Yes, I am definitely in China now ! !---! Gourd Home Hostal, Xijiang, 130Yuan.... read more

Arriving here in Xijiang is like arriving at Disneyland. There's a 100 rmb ($16) admission fee to enter the town. There are little buses from the main admission gate to the Northern City Gate. There are souvenir shops and small eateries lining the streets. And there are crowds. China has discovered the economic value of tourism and is capitalizing on it in a big way. I understand that just 5 years ago this was a quiet, picturesque village where visitors would sometimes be greeted by Miao women dressed in their native costumes doing welcoming dances in the main square. Now, there are busloads of tourists, there's an outdoor theater with scheduled shows and a nighttime gala complete with a light show and fireworks, and there is one shop after another selling pretty much the same thing. ... read more

Hi All, Mmmmm. Didn't quite go to plan this trip. All went well up until I walked out of Xijiang. I got to Kaili without a hitch. I did have some trouble finding a hotel though. I walked around for an hour before I found one that would accept foreigners. The next day I was early for the bus to Xijiang and so I arrived in Xijiang at around 10 o'clock in the morning which was perfect. I had planned this trip for a while. The plan was to walk from Xijiang to Paiyang, about 2 or 3 days, but I could find no maps, only road maps and in Chinese, so I was always going to have to rely on someone pointing me in the right direction. I was armed with the name of Paiyang ... read more

Today was truly a special treat. As fate would have it, the Kaili Ethnic Minority Museum was closed for refurbishing. Leaving Kaili we headed into the mountains to visit the secluded 1,000 Family Miao Village. Access to the village required some real off roading, but fortunately we befriended a govt official who allowed us to drive through the villagers entrance to this magical place. If you ever visit China and could only see one place, I would choose this village. I could easily spend a week here, chilling out with the warm Miao villagers. The Miao women are known for their spectacular costumes and headdresses. Their houses and bridges were very intricate in design compared to the Baima, Naxi, Yi and Mosuo and Bai ethnic minorities we had encountered. And this village of just over 1,000 ... read more