Liupanshui Hou'er Pass Scenic Area

Liupanshui Hou'er Pass Scenic Area

The Liupanshui Hou'er Pass Scenic Area is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

I had long heard that the farmer paintings of Shuicheng County are renowned both domestically and internationally, especially those from Hou'er Pass in Douqing Township, which boasts the highest number of farmer painters, as well as the most award-winning artists in Guizhou Province and even across the nation. Therefore, Hou'er Pass became a must-visit destination for this trip.

Hou'er Pass, located in Cichong Village, Douqing Township, Shuicheng County, was once an ancient battlefield where the Shuixi Army fought against Wu Sangui, and also bears the footprints of the Red Ninth Army. Since ancient times, the area has been known for its treacherous terrain—easy to defend but hard to attack—even agile monkeys found it difficult to cross, hence the name "Hou'er Pass" (Monkey Pass). In 1937, during the Long March, the Red Ninth Army passed through here. A veteran of the Red Ninth Army once described this stretch of road: “Since the start of the Long March, I have never traveled such a difficult path.” Today, Hou'er Pass is not only one of the red tourism routes in Liupanshui but also known as the village of farmer paintings in Shuicheng. Among the over 100 households in the village, more than 50 people are skilled in creating farmer paintings.

Hou'er Pass is a small locality primarily inhabited by the Waishu Miao, a subgroup of the Miao ethnic group, with around 100 households and 400 residents. From a distance, the small village appears to be perched halfway up a mountain, nestled among blue skies, white clouds, and green trees, giving the impression of a fairytale house in the sky.

As you approach the entrance of the Hou'er Pass village, you can feel its cultural atmosphere: like roads in other towns, there are occasionally propaganda steles along the roadside, about two square meters in size, bearing policy slogans such as “Walk your own path, love the common road” or “Finish junior high school before seeking work.” However, the steles along this particular road in Hou'er Pass are not just text—they are accompanied by corresponding farmer paintings depicting a loving Miao family: a daughter laughing happily on her mother’s back, while the father supports his wife and smiles at their child. The stele carries slogans such as “Have fewer children, achieve prosperity faster.” Such steles inevitably catch the eye of passersby.

On the wall of a small shop near the village, there is also a farmer painting depicting dozens of young Miao men and women singing and dancing joyfully.