Yongning Ancient Town

Libo Zhangjiang Scenic Area

Located in Libo County within the Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, the Libo Zhangjiang Scenic Area is about 314 kilometers from Guiyang City, covering a total area of over 300,000 mu. It is one of the world’s rare remnants of subtropical karst primary forests at the same latitude. The scenery is characterized by its wild, unique, and beautiful features, primarily concentrated in the Xiaoqikong Scenic Area, making it an ideal destination for eco-tourism and nature retreats.

It attracts countless visitors with its wild, enchanting, and beautiful landscapes shaped by karst landforms. Major attractions are distributed across three scenic zones: Daqikong, Xiaoqikong, and Shuichun River Gorge. Among them, Daqikong is famed for its spectacular canyons, featuring attractions such as Heavenly God Canyon, Natural Bridge, and Underground Lake. Xiaoqikong, located around the Xiangshui River, is renowned for its waterfalls, primeval forests, and lakes. The Xiangshui River has a drop of over 40 meters, creating 18 levels of natural cascades. Visitors boating on the Shuichun River can enjoy sights such as Meitan, Kuzhu Beach, and the Thirteen Waves. There is also a paradise for birds—on a steep cliff called “Hudao Wall,” numerous cave openings dot the surface, while a large karst cave within the cliff hosts thousands of swifts, known as the “Ten Thousand Birds Cave.” The Zhangjiang Scenic Area has now been designated as a national scenic spot.

The Libo Zhangjiang Scenic Area is located in Libo County in the southern border of Guizhou Province, adjacent to Guangxi's Huanjiang and Nandan Counties. It lies within the tourism gap triangle between Guilin, Guiyang, and Kunming. The area consists of the Xiaoqikong Scenic Area, Daqikong Scenic Area, Shuichun River Scenic Area, and the Zhangjiang Scenic Belt. Covering a total area of 426 square kilometers, it includes 58 major attractions, among which 6 are world-class and 26 are national-level sites. The Xiaoqikong and Daqikong areas represent the essence of Qiannan’s scenery, with Xiaoqikong being the most iconic. The region features undulating peaks, crisscrossing streams, and a harmonious blend of dynamic and serene landscapes, combining elements of the wild, serene, majestic, ancient, perilous, and beautiful. It is hailed as the world’s only well-preserved “green gem” at this latitude.

The Shuangyuan Lake area of Xiaoqikong is a unique karst water forest found nowhere else in the world at the same latitude, home to over 10 rare tree species. Within just a 2-kilometer stretch of river, there are more than 70 levels of rapids and waterfalls. On the southern side of the river, amid rolling hills of primeval forest, grows a type of monstera plant, after which Turtleback Mountain is named. Adjacent to Turtleback Mountain lies the Wild Boar Forest, a rarely visited, densely shaded woodland that offers a cool refuge. The forest is filled with vines entwining trees and trees wrapping around vines, forming the largest wild vine landscape discovered in China, along with astonishing rock-wrapped-trees and tree-wrapped-rocks sights.

Nearby are two ponds known as Shuangyuan Lake, connected to each other with a combined water surface of about 13 hectares and a depth of over 40 meters. Boating here offers a uniquely delightful experience. About 5 kilometers from the Xiaoqikong Shuangyuan Lake area is the Daqikong Dige Palace scenic zone, where high mountains and deep valleys shelter fast-flowing waters, and an 80-meter-high natural bridge stands majestically.

The Zhangjiang Scenic Area also boasts distinctive cultural attractions, including the former residence of Deng Enming, the only ethnic minority representative of the “First National Congress,” as well as the ancient cave burial customs of Yaolu and vibrant, rustic, and distinctive folk traditions that are highly captivating. Characterized by the colorful karst water features, the area combines waterfalls, rapids, underground rivers, clear streams, gorges, caves, lakes, and forests. With a forest coverage rate of 91.58%, it holds significant scientific and tourism value. In 1987, it was approved by the State Council as a national forest nature reserve, and in 1996, it was included in the “Man and Biosphere Reserve Network” by UNESCO, becoming a world-class nature reserve.

Travel Tips

Transportation:

The best way to get there from Guiyang is by train to Mawei. This route is optimal as Mawei is very close to the Xiaoqikong Scenic Area, and buses to Libo are available right at the train station, passing through Xiaoqikong. Additionally, roads within the scenic area connect to Nandan, Huanjiang, and Jinchengjiang in Guangxi, as well as Mawei, Sandu, Dushan, Duyun, and Guiyang in Guizhou, extending further to Liuzhou, Guilin, and Nanning in Guangxi, ensuring convenient travel for tourists.

Specialty Products:

Local delicacies in Libo include Chousuan (stinky sour), Niugu Suan (ox bone sour), Sunsguo Suan (bamboo shoot fruit sour), and Su Rou (sour meat). The cured sour meat features crispy skin, tender meat, fragrant taste, moderate acidity, and is not greasy, stimulating the appetite. Other must-try specialties for visitors include wild yangmei (Chinese bayberry) soup, fried Zhangjiang fish, Libo Feng Pig, water fern, and wild Zhangjiang grilled fish. These are all unique flavors you won’t find elsewhere once you leave Libo.

Accommodation:

There are many hotels and guesthouses in Libo County with a wide range of options and varying prices according to star ratings. However, it is advisable to book in advance during peak tourist seasons and holidays.