7 Days in Guiping

Some 680 m of steps at the city's edge, Qing-era halls visited factually, and the tea slopes that give Xishan tea its name.

1. guiping xishan

A gorge about 44 km long on the Qian River — the "great rattan" of Ming records — and the nine-level Ming pagoda some 50 m above the bank.

1. guiping dateng gorge
2. guiping east pagoda

Waterfalls, fern gullies and tree ferns northwest of town; a wet-shoes half day.

1. guiping longtan forest park

The Taiping uprising began at Jintian on 11 January 1851 — site and museum, presented plainly. At the marker park, latitude about 23°26'N, the solstice noon shadow disappears.

1. guiping jintian uprising site
2. guiping tropic cancer park

Red-sandstone cliffs south of town counted among Taoism's 36 grotto-heavens; steep paths, bring water.

1. guiping baishi mountain

An honest neighbor day — Guigang is a separate prefecture city, about 40 minutes by rail. A hillside temple with Song-era origins stands in its southern suburbs; factual visits only, back to Guiping by evening.

1. guigang nanshan temple

A last bowl of rice noodles and bags of longan at the market, then the HSR from Guiping station — about an hour to Nanning, under three to Guangzhou.

1. guiping city markets