Guiyang City is located in the middle of Guizhou hill-plateau, on the watershed between Yangtse River and Pearl River, higher in the southwest and lower in the northeast. Miaoling Mountain extends in the boundaries, hills undulate and the hills of denudation alternate with basins, valleys and depressions. The relative difference in elevation is about 100-200 m. The highest peak, 1659 m above sea level, is in Miaowoding, Shuitian Town and the lowest place, 880 m above sea level, is in the exit mouth of Nanming River. In the middle of Guiyang, the stratified landform is obvious, mainly including
Guiyang ,Zhongcaosi synclinal basin and Baiyun,
Huaxi, Qingyan multistage tableland as well as corroded depression. Peak cluster and dish-structure depression, funnel, underground stream, karst cave are developed.
Guiyang city has a pleasant moist subtropical climate with plenty of sunlight and ample rainfall. It does not have intense heat in summer or severe cold in winter. The air is fresh and humid without any sandstorm. The agreeable climate makes it a cozy city for living.
A yearly average temperature of Guiyang is about 15 C (59 F). July is the hottest month of the year with an average of 24 C (75 F) while January is the coldest one, averaging a temperature of 4.6 C (40 F). Guiyang features four distinctive seasons, with winter to be the longest one.
Its genial year-around weather contributes a lot to its popularity among travelers. However, due to the changeful weather on the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, it is recommended to take rain wear along with you whenever you go out. A folding umbrella is indispensable! Due to its topography, the things for anti-solar radiation should be fully prepared. Mornings and evenings can often be rather cool so a windproof coat is necessary.
People & Culture
Guiyang is home to more than 30 minority ethnic groups including Miao, Buyi, Dong and Hui, etc. Consequently the city abounds with unique folk culture and traditions that give rise to many colorful ethnic minority activities.
Minority festivals and souvenirs are popular with tourists. Items such as festival costumes, masks and embroideries can be purchased in the shopping street, Beijing Lu, Zhonghua Lu and Yan'an Lu. Local products such as the Maotai Wine (Moutai) are widely available in the large supermarkets.
A great number of attractive sights are to be found here, the Hongfeng Lake (Red Maple Lake), Huaxi Park and an abundance of historical relics of the Ming and Qing dynasties, such as the Jiaxiu Tower, Wenchang Pavilion, Yangming Cave and the Qingyan Ancient Town. All of these scenic spots have their own interesting stories.
The local food is spicy but should you prefer western cuisine or that of other parts of China you will find the star-rated hotels and quality restaurants will satisfy your needs.
Transportation
Air
The Longdongbao Airport, an international airport in Guiyang, was launched into service on May 28, 1997.Now, air routes had been opened to link up Guiyang with 32 cities including Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, Kunming, Guilin, Xiamen, Xian, Haihou, Changsha and Wuhan.
Railway
Guizhou is a key area for railway construction in the country. And Guizhou takes a major position in transportation pivot in southwest China, and benefit the economic development not only in Guizhou but also in neighboring Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.
Highway
Now there are over 30,000 kilometers of highways in operation in Guizhou, including five national highways and 30 provincial trunk lines, which constitute a highway network with Guiyang as the center and linking up all cities and counties in the province.
Local Transportation
Three major horizontal roads and three vertical ones constitute the modern transportation networks of Guiyang city, with about 20 interchanges of various functions.
There are about 1600 public buses running along 108 different bus routes and about 2000 taxies in the city, covering all the city area and the three suburbs. All the buses are self service.