This travelogue is intended to be helpful for middle-aged and elderly friends who enjoy independent travel.

I have arranged a quite generous itinerary of five days and four nights. As I am middle-aged and my physical recovery is slower, I will just enjoy the journey at a leisurely pace. The main attraction in Guiyang, Huangguoshu Waterfall, is a must-visit, and Longgong, which is close to Huangguoshu and has unique features, also needs to be explored. Actually, there are other interesting places like Kaili and Liubao, but considering my physical condition, we did not arrange them. After deciding on the itinerary, we just went ahead.

On Day 1, I took an Eastern Airlines flight at 13:10 p.m., which took about two hours to reach Guiyang Longdongbao Airport. From the 11th entrance, it was very convenient to get to the airport bus stop. It was easy to reach the city center. Finally, it stopped at Jiefang Road and Zunyi Road. However, the final destination from the city center to the airport was at Qingyun Road and Zunyi Road, where the airport ticket office is located. I went to Huangguoshu by arranging to take a train to Anshun, so I booked the Pattya Thai-style Mansion Hotel near the train station on Ctrip. This hotel is undergoing renovation, but it does not affect the accommodation. Personally, I highly recommend it. The hotel includes breakfast, although the variety is a bit limited, but there are Chinese and Western options. There are three bus stops nearby for convenient travel.

It was already 5 p.m. when I arrived at the hotel. After checking in, I went out and took the No. 62 bus from Dachanglong Gate to Aoxiu Tower. This is one of the landmarks in Guiyang and also a cultural symbol of the city. As soon as I got off the bus, I could see Aoxiu Tower across the Nanming River. The feeling was great! Unfortunately, Aoxiu Tower is no longer lit at night now, but fortunately, both sides of the Nanming River are still brightly lit.

This is the first day's dinner. It's a welcome feast for myself. Haha

D2. We plan to spend 2 days in Huangguoshu and Longgong, and stay in Anshun for one night. The hotel we booked through Ctrip is the China Railway Business Hotel. It's just on the right-hand side of the railway station, very convenient and affordable. We have also booked the train tickets from Guiyang to Anshun on the 12306 website at 15.5 yuan per person. The train departs at 8:05 in the morning. It only takes 10 minutes to walk from the hotel to the railway station, so there's no need to get up early.

The train arrived at Anshun Station at 9:21 exactly. We checked into the hotel, put our luggage down, and planned to take the special bus to Longgong. Here's a reminder: Originally, we checked that there were special buses from the railway station to Longgong and Huangguoshu. Now they have all been changed to the East Bus Station. Fortunately, it's very convenient to go from the railway station to the East Bus Station, with several bus routes available. The 3rd bus is the most convenient. However, it takes a little longer to wait. We didn't want to wait, so we took a taxi and shared the cost at 30 yuan. We bought the tickets for Longgong at the ticket office in the East Bus Station at 10 yuan per person. The train departs every half an hour, and it takes about an hour to arrive. The 150 yuan ticket includes three boat rides. After getting off the boat at Xuantang, we can have a meal on the street. Then, we have to walk a long way to Guanyin Cave, which is also a dry cave. Personally, I think the real highlight is the water cave. To enter the water cave, we need to take two more boat rides. The underground river bed is very wide, and the stalactites have various shapes. It's worth seeing. After a leisurely walk for over three hours, we returned to Anshun and had a peaceful rest. This is the underground waterfall of Longgong.

Rural scenery

Shuantang Scenic Beauty

Today, D3 will visit the most famous scenic spot in Guiyang - Huangguoshu Waterfall. I'm looking forward to it.

I managed to buy the ticket for Huangguoshu Waterfall at Dong Station for 21 yuan per person. It only takes about an hour to drive to Huangguoshu Car Park via the expressway. The notice says there are buses going to Anshun and those directly to Guiyang. The price for the bus ticket is 55 yuan per person. When arriving in Guiyang, it stops at Jinyang Bus Station, which is far from the railway station. So I chose Huangguoshu - Anshun 20 yuan per person - Guiyang 35 yuan per person. This long-distance bus stops at the railway station, which is very convenient. However, if you want to go back to Anshun and then to Guiyang, you must arrive at Anshun Bus Station before 5 o'clock. The bus that goes directly from Huangguoshu to Guiyang departs at the latest at 7 o'clock. You need to calculate the time carefully!

The ticket for 180 yuan can allow you to visit Huangguoshu for two days, but one day is enough. This ticket does not include the sightseeing bus and the large elevator. The 50-yuan sightseeing bus must be purchased. The distances between these scenic spots are really far and cannot be saved. Don't buy the bus tickets for the scenic area. Some people will offer to sell taxis at 50 yuan per person. At first, I was worried that it was just extra, but taxis are uniformly managed within the scenic area and start to operate when the bus is full of four people. It's faster than the bus, actually. The bus provides better service for groups, while we individual tourists are definitely more convenient with taxis. 

Huangguoshu Waterfall is divided into three areas: Steep Slope Pond Waterfall, Tianxing Bridge Scenic Area, and the Main Waterfall. These three scenic spots are picked up and transported by taxis, following the sequence. The taxi charges are collected only when it reaches the first scenic spot, which is very reassuring. Then, you can walk and observe the scenery slowly. After visiting, there will be a dispatch arrangement at the exit to take you to the next scenic spot. It's really very convenient. Bravo!

Anshun can indeed be called the "Waterfall Capital", and Huangguoshu Waterfall adds color to it. The Steep Slope Pond Waterfall with a width of 110 meters attracts people's attention. The wide river surface flows smoothly... 。

Tianxingqiao Scenic Area is truly wonderful! It features mountains, stone forests, caves, and the towering stone pillars of Tianxing Cave, along with the stalactites formed over thousands of years. It truly amazes one with nature's incredible craftsmanship. Along the way, the water-based stone forest was particularly unique, making one stop involuntarily and press the shutter in hand. However, upon reaching the Silver Chain Drop Waterfall, the fatigue from walking all the way was not felt unjustified by the visual enjoyment. This waterfall is truly magnificent!

After enjoying the feast of the eyes, I chuckled and spent 10 yuan on a cable car to give my feet a rest.

The Great Waterfall, also known as Huangguoshu Waterfall, truly showcases its charm. After seeing many landscapes, it's quite enjoyable to look at the greenery. The layout of the Great Waterfall is truly ingenious. As you enter, you'll see a vast area of bonsai, golden poplars, firs, and the resilient cacti... As you slowly move forward and find yourself in a sea of flowers, you naturally reach the ticket office for the escalator. Pay up - 30 yuan for a one-way trip and 50 yuan for a round trip. Walk around and enjoy it - it's sure to be a delightful experience. But as one reaches middle age, one cannot rely on physical strength anymore.

As the escalator slowly ascends to the top and you step out, the gurgling sound of the waterfalls can already be heard in your ears. Wow! You get excited and naturally quicken your pace. You want to see the Great Waterfall as soon as possible. However, you unconsciously slow down because the scenery along the way is also not to be missed. When the 77.8-meter-high Great Waterfall comes into view, although it's not the maximum flow, it's still a moderate to high volume. Due to the drop, the water mist and water droplets can float to the other side. You can imagine the unstoppable momentum as it rushes down - it's truly astonishing, beautiful, and magnificent!

The Huaxi Park in Guiyang and the Qingyan Ancient Town are both located in the suburbs. Originally, I planned to arrange my own tour, but when I saw on Ctrip that there was a one-day tour including Qingyan, Huaxi, and Tianhe Tan, I decided to join the group. The meeting point was at the Liberation Road, which is only 100 meters away from the hotel I booked. It was very convenient. Although it was a group tour, the entire itinerary was very relaxed. The Tianhe Tan Scenic Area was really nice; there were caves and waterfalls, which was a scaled-down version of Longgong and Huangguoshu. However, the scenic spots in Qingyan Ancient Town were under renovation, so we could only walk around the streets. It was crowded with shops and not very interesting, a waste of time. Actually, personally, I think if the time spent in Qingyan could be spent in Huaxi instead, it would be better. It took only a few minutes to take the bus and leave from Huaxi. It's a pity. The greenery in Huaxi is very good and it's a natural oxygen bar. I really hope the travel agency can adjust the itinerary in time and make reasonable arrangements for the tourists. They should think about the needs of the tourists.

D5 said that Guizhou is known for having no more than three days of sunshine in a row. But we were really lucky. It didn't rain during the entire five days we were there. This morning when we woke up, there was a light rain. Fortunately, we took off at around 4 p.m., so we stayed in the hotel and watched the World Cup. 

In the afternoon, we went to the airport ticket office to take the airport shuttle bus. It only took 20 minutes to reach the airport. We quickly completed all the necessary procedures. At this moment, a feeling welled up spontaneously: when we arrived, we felt eager; when we returned, we felt nostalgic.

Goodbye, Guiyang! Goodbye, Huangguoshu Waterfall!