A Small Town, A Big World

During the holidays, I traveled to Guizhou—a place famous for its unique climate, where you can experience all four seasons on a single mountain, and the weather changes every few minutes. I had always thought of this as just a local saying, but once I arrived, I realized how true it really was.

Guizhou had been on my travel wish list ever since my middle school geography classes, and now—nearly six years later—I finally had the chance to visit.

My first stop was Guiyang. The city’s weather was truly refreshing, and its vibrant urban center blended historical charm with modern energy. Guiyang’s food completely won me over. Although I’m usually not a fan of sour flavors, I fell in love with the local specialty—sour fish hotpot. At the Guizhou Provincial Museum, a wall of traditional face masks depicting characters from Romance of the Three Kingdoms left a lasting impression on me. I even saw original artifacts that I had previously only encountered in history textbooks, bringing those lessons vividly to life.

Another unforgettable stop was the Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village. While commercial tourism has altered some of its original simplicity, the village’s early mornings invited a slower pace, allowing me to truly take it all in. We stayed in a traditional house with a viewing terrace, where mist drifted gently over the rooftops. The distant sound of roosters crowing transported me to the small towns of western Hunan described by the Chinese writer Shen Congwen. Though far apart geographically, the atmosphere and emotions felt remarkably alike. In the evening, the village revealed a different kind of beauty. Thousands of glowing household lights merged with the starry sky, making the mountain resemble a celestial market square.

Beyond these places, Huangguoshu Waterfall also deserves special mention. It was the filming location for the opening theme of the iconic 1986 TV adaptation of Journey to the West—a must-see for fans like me. This place is stunning and truly worth taking the time to experience.