Guiyang beckons with striking landscapes and intriguing cultures(3)

DAY 4

(QINGYAN OLD TOWN)

10am

One of the four ancient towns in Guizhou Province, Qingyan is nothing like the graceful water towns in southern China. Built in 1378 as a military fortress by a chieftan of a Buyi tribe, it is built with mountain stones. The houses also are constructed of stones and tiles. Take a walk down zigzag stone alleyways that seem to lead nowhere but always take you on a new journey. The alleyways were the setting for Chinese actor Jiang Wen as he looked for his gun in the 2002 suspense film "The Missing Gun." What makes Qingyan especially harmonious is its embrace of different cultures. Buddhist and Taoist temples stand in harmony with Catholic and other Christian churches in this 3-square-kilometer town.

12pm

For most locals in Guiyang, the most appealing part of Qingyan town is the food. Take a bite of the braised pork knuckle and have a spoon of rose bingfen (a jelly desert made with seeds). Do not miss the fragrant and sweet gaoba xifan, which is a mix of lotus root starch with steamed flour paste, topped with white sesame, rose petals and nuts. Sticky rose candy wrapped in white sesame and jilajiao (fried chilies with chicken) make great gifts for friends and family.

If you go

How to get there:

China Eastern Airlines and Juneyao Airlines travel daily between Shanghai and Guiyang. The flight takes no more than three hours.

Where to stay:

Downtown Guiyang has a range of five-star and luxury hotel brands, including Sheraton, Novotel, Kempinski, Pullman and Ramada Plaza. For budget travelers, Jinlusheng on Baoshan Road S. is a nice option.

The Shili Hetan area in Huaxi offers some clean and well-equipped accommodations, such as the Cai Ge Tang boutique hotel (4000-2611-86, 0851-8506-588).

Shuitou Village along the Qinglong River in Kaiyang area has renovated a stretch of local houses for tourist accommodations. Among them is Indigo Lodge, a sunny, eight-guestroom wooden boutique. (indigoculture.com)