Exploring Guiyang City Center

Weekends are precious to teachers around the world. Natalie and I decided to spend Saturday exploring Guiyang. We started at the Guiyang Provincial Museum, which is about four blocks from our hotel and opened recently. We were pleased to discover that there was no entrance fee and many of the information signs had an English translation. The museum focused on 17 of the cultural minorities in China and significant paleontological findings in the province. The Han Chinese are the ethnic majority in China and live in nearly all parts of the country. The government is working to protect the 55 total ethnic minorities in the country. The museum displayed different types of musical instruments, weapons, metal work, embroidery, weaving, traditional dress, and scenes that were specific to each culture. The museum also had an interesting collection of early human artifacts, bones, and teeth. The Guizhou region is home to unique karst topography and many Cambrian fossils similar to those found in the Burgess Shale. I was happy to learn a bit more about the local geology.

One of our goals for the day was to locate Highlands Coffee, an American-owned and run coffee shop in the city center. A short taxi ride later and we were there. Across the street from the coffee shop we saw a large square of people and a golden building, so we decided to investigate.

Renmin Square (People's Square) is a huge stone plaza in the middle of the city on the Nanming River. The square was full of kite vendors and people running willy nilly flying kites. The Chinese have a tradition and love of kite flying. I was amazed that very few kites got crossed and even fewer people were clotheslined.

People flying kites in Renmin Square (People's Square)

At the edge of Renmin Square was the cultural minority performance center modeled after a traditional reed piped wind instrument.

Cultural performance center modeled after a traditional wind instrument

The truly serious kite flyers were a group of elderly gentlemen sitting on a bench whose kites were so high in the sky that we couldn’t see them.

Kite flying is not just for kids. These men are pros.

At the opposite end of the square was one of the largest statues of Mao Zedong in all of China. Ironically, underneath the square was the largest Walmart.

Mao Zedong statue 

Back at the coffee shop we enjoyed some tea and wifi to figure out our next move. Just as we were about to leave an American fellow joined us. Evan, who currently lives in Beijing but is originally from Georgia, told us he’s passing through Guiyang on a tour of China doing research for his first book about traditional Chinese pickling and fermentation techniques. Are you kidding? I couldn’t believe our luck! I too am interested in fermenting and preserving foods. The first American we have seen in three weeks turned out to be a foodie who speaks fluent Chinese! We swapped stories and he gave us a few tips for getting along in China. We made plans to meet for dinner and parted ways for the rest of the afternoon.

Qianming Si, Buddhist temple on the Nanming River

The city center is full of interesting places to visit. We wandered in a general northeast direction and found a fascinating market outside a Buddhist temple, Qianming Si. The market had a number of traditional herbs, roots, and other remedies for sale, including dried lizards. Other tables sold false teeth and on-the-spot dental work. Outside every Buddhist temple are vendors selling long sticks of incense and long red candles that people use during prayer and meditation. There was even a ring toss game for children. Something for everyone! Teeth, spirituality, trinkets, veggies, underwear, etc. Anything you could want is sold on the street in China.

Ring toss outside the temple

Guiyang is currently under going a major building phase. Temples and pavilions from the 1500 and 1600s are next to shopping malls and high-rise apartment complexes. The mix of ancient culture and modernization is fascinating.

Walk along with Nanming River

About a ten minute walk along the banks of the Nanming River past Qianming Si was the famous Jiaxiu Pavilion. The ancient tower was built in 1589 on a small rock in the middle of the river and connected to the north bank by the Floating Jade Bridge (Fuyu Qiao).

Lizzy and Natalie walking along the Nanming River with Jiaxiu Pavilion in the background

Jiaxiu Pavilion was built for the purpose of being a meeting place for scholars. It currently serves as a tea house and museum of ancient scrolls. The building is often considered the symbol of Guiyang. I resisted the urge to sing "Sur le Pont d'Avignon" as we walked over the bridge, but Natalie did oblige me a Singing in the Rain photo.

Jiaxiu Pavilion and Floating Jade Bridge

Singing in the Rain in Guiyang: Lizzy with Jiaxiu Pavilion in the background

On the south bank of the river lies the Cuiwei Gardens, built around 1500 originally as part of a Buddhist temple. While we could not read any of the signs, we enjoyed the stunning architecture of the historic buildings and courtyards. We hope to return to enjoy some tea at Jiaxiu Pavilion at night while we are here. The city lights up both the three-story tower and the skyscrapers to display a dazzling light show along the river each night.

Cuiwei Gardens with Jiaxiu Pavilion in the background

Cuiwei Gardens

Using Natalie’s great powers of urban navigation we made our way on foot from the banks of the Nanming River back to Hunter City Shopping Mall. Only a couple of times did we stop people on the street to make sure we were headed the right direction. Asian people have varied reactions to being approached by foreigners, but the people of Guiyang have been helpful and kind.

After picking up some provisions in the mall we met up with our new American foodie friend, Evan. He excitedly shared with us his “best day yet”. His three-week trip is coming to an end in a couple of days and he was pleased to have met a master pickler at a local market who sent him home with a homemade batch of fermented vegetables and a Gatorade bottle of broth. Since he both reads Chinese and knows about food, we confidently let him choose a restaurant for dinner. We wandered up and down streets and eventually ended up at a great dumpling restaurant. Evan swiftly ordered all the food in Chinese without any of the awkward pointing, gesturing, and phrasebook referencing that typically accompany our meals. It was great to talk to another native English speaker for a few hours. At the end of the night we parted ways and wished Evan well on the last leg of his trip. I look forward to picking up a copy of his book soon!