Qīngyán

Introducing Qīngyán

This ancient Ming town is packed with sights and makes a wonderful day trip from Guìyáng. The former military outpost was once a traffic hub between the southwest provinces, leaving the village with Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries rubbing up against Christian churches and menacing watchtowers.

There’s plenty to eat here and some of the most popular items are pig’s feet, roasted sugar and tofu in every conceivable form, from baseball-sized spheres to oblong packages wrapped in leaves.

There’s no entrance fee to the village, but most sights inside charge Y2 to Y10 to get in.

Be wary of groups of children pushing drawings or paper cranes in your hands. They’re often trolling for money and have been known to stomp on visitors’ feet or snatch money out of open wallets if they don’t think you’ve been generous enough.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009