About Zunyi
Zunyi spreads across the green, deeply folded hills of northern Guizhou, a city best known in China for a turning point in modern history. In January 1935 Red Army leaders met here during the Long March, and the Zunyi Conference site in the old town remains a major place of pilgrimage for Chinese visitors.
The wider prefecture holds far older stories and some spectacular landscapes. On a mountaintop outside the city, the ruined fortress of Hailongtun recalls the Yang family chieftains who ruled the region for centuries, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing. To the north-west, the Chishui River flows past Maotai, the town that gives its name to China's most celebrated liquor, and on to the red sandstone cliffs and waterfalls of Chishui.
Zunyi makes a practical base for these trips, with spicy Guizhou cooking, a lively old town and good rail links. Distances within the prefecture are large, so plan for long but scenic drives.
Best seasonApril to June and September to November; summers are warm and rainy.
Ideal stayThree days for the city, Hailongtun and a trip along the Chishui River.
ArrivingHigh-speed trains link Zunyi with Guiyang and Chongqing, and Zunyi Xinzhou Airport serves the region.
