Guiyang, the capital of the Guizhou Province is more commonly know as the "City in Forest." Guiyang is located in central Guizhou province, situated on the east of the Yungui Plateau, and on the north bank of the Nanming River, a branch of the Wujiang River. The city has an elevation of about 1,100 meters. It has an area of 8,034 square kilometers. Many buildings are among the city as it resembles a smaller New York in my opinion. The city was first founded in the late thirteenth century during the Yuan Dynasty.
The original name of Guiyang was Shunyuan, which meant to obey the Mongol rulers (Yuan). Also during this time it was known to be surrounded by a large amount of bamboo groves which inspired the production of the Zhu (musical instrument).
As with many cities in China, Guiyang has a subtropical monsoon climate in which severe winds and rain are in effect for months at a time. The seasons are quite different than the normal. There is not distinct difference in the seasons in which winter is much more mild than the average and summer is fairly cool.
The economy of Guiyang is very successful; however, it only ranks 206 out of the 659 Chinese cities. Its GDP per capital in 2003 was nearly US$1450. Guiyang has a decent amount of attractions to see if visiting. One of the more popular places is Quingyan's Ancient Town. The ancient architecture used during this time is quite a sight to see. The majority of the town was built for military reasons, so you can view many of the materials and buildings used for that. Also there is the Hongfeng Lake and many historic sites such as the Yangming Cave, Wenchang Pavilion, and the Jiaxiu Tower. Many local restaurants are available to eat at also. Most food is very spicy and cooked at a great quality.
The atmosphere of Guiyang is far more laid back than other Chinese cities. Many inhabitants are known to stay up late through the night and sleep late. Due to the calmness of the city the crime rate is much lower than other surrounding areas. With all of these activities and laid back environment, Guiyang is a perfect place to either live or visit.
