Guizhou is located in the eastern part of southwest China¡’s Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, with Hunan Province to its east, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to the south, Yunnan Province to the west, and Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality to the north. Its central location at the southwestern China makes it a crucial hub for the region. Guizhou is a mountainous province. It covers an area of 176,100 square kilometers. The Province is more than 1,000 meters above ea level. The average sea level is 1,100 meters, adding to its rich mountainous topography.
Guizhou is one of the birthplaces of mankind. There were human beings living on the land as early as about 500,000 or 600,000 years ago and created the antediluvian civilization. In 1382 AD, Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty established a military administration in the area.
Guizhou has a subtropical humid climate. There are few seasonal changes. The weather is frequently cloudy and rainy all year. The temperature is also moderate, not too cold in the winter, or hot in the summer. Annual rainfall in Guizhou Province averages nearly 1000-1300 millimeters and annual temperature averages 15C around.
More than 15 minority ethnic groups settled in Guizhou and most of the amazing scenic areas are located in these settled minority areas. In addition to enjoying the scenery, visitors can discover the rich and varied folk customs and cultures of the different minority ethnic groups of the region.
Guiyang is the capital of the Province. Guizhou occupies the eastern part of the Yungui Plateau, rising between the Sichuan Basin and Guangxi Basin. The Terrain of Guizhou gradually lowers down eastwards, its western and central part having an attitude of one to two thousand meters above sea level. The river valley area on the south-eastern fringe of the province has an altitude of around 500 meter above sea level. Guizhou has a rugged terrain, with numerous precipitous peaks and deep valleys, as well as extensive karsts formations, caves and underground rivers. Many date-shaped mini-basins scatter around the mountains.
The Dalou Mountains in the northern part of the province forms the borderline of Guizhou. The Wuling Mountains in the north-eastern part of the province abounds in biological resources and has been declared as a key natural preserves of China. The Wumeng Mountains in the west borders Yunnan Province.
China's Guizhou province has a very small economy. Guizhou's GDP in 2006 was just 225 billion Yuan and the per capita GDP was only 5750 Yuan in 2006. Guizhou main industries are timber, forestry management, mining coal and some gypsum. In the field of industries, priorities are placed on the development of coal, metallurgy, chemical, machinery, electric power, cigarette, textile and papermaking industries. In the fields of agriculture and by-products, there are mainly paddy rice, maize, rapeseed, tobacco; and the outputs of tung oil, oil tea, Chinese Tallow, raw lacquer, tea and traditional Chinese medicinal materials have occupied a predominant position in the domestic market. Railway is the priority communication line and highway traffic also plays an important role in communication. The landforms with widely dispersed karst topography in Guizhou Province have created a picturesque scenery with grandeur. Places of historic interest and scenic beauty are the Yellow Fruit Tree Waterfall, Anshun Water Cave of Dragon Palace, Gold-knit Cave, Red Maple Lake and the Lesser Seven-Arched Scenic Site. There are such traditional local products and specialties as Anshun Wax Printing, Jade Screen Whistle and Flute, Ruled Pattern Lacquerware, Maotai and Dong (spirits). The province boasts plenty of famous local products. The world-famous Maotai Wine is made here. Wax printing in Anshun,Pottery in Pintang, Lacquerware in Bijie and Meijiang tea and Maofeng tea are all well received by the tourists.
Guizhou is famous for its gorgeous karst caves and other peculiar natural sceneries as well as its rich culture and brilliant history relics. Huangguoshu Waterfall, 45 km southwest of Anshun, is the biggest in China and among the world’s famous waterfalls, with clusters of peaks and caves. Among them, The most attractive caves are Dragon Palace (Long gong Cave) which is like a fairy tale crystal palace with mysterious underground Karst type system, and the Zhijin Cave, another highlight, famous for its massive, scale, stalagmites, stone pillars an stone pagodas in unbelievable heights and numbers, and is named as the Museum of Karst Formation.
Guizhou University has always placed importance on the development of international cooperation and exchanges, so far, the University has established cooperative and exchange relations with more than 40 academic institutions in about 20 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Israel, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Hong Kong.
Guizhou Province is unfamiliar to many travelers and tourists. However, the peculiar natural scenery, remarkable national customs, brilliant history, culture and the pleasant climate condition form a unique, aboriginal, unsophisticated and mysterious landscape which is attracting more and more tourists, both domestic and international. Maolan Karst Forest Natural Conservation, which contains mountains, water, forests and caves, all in the same location, is breathtaking. Huangguoshu Waterfall is the biggest in China and among the world's famous waterfalls. |
