Guizhou provincial capital becomes a major attraction to visitors who are relishing the variety of sights and entertainment on offer.

Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, is not just a key transit hub for tourists traveling to Southwest China, but it is also transforming itself into a popular tourist destination in its own right. With an attractive blend of distinctive ethnic culture, breathtaking landscapes and a trendy, modern urban lifestyle, the city offers visitors a unique travel experience.

Statistics from Guiyang's culture and tourism bureau show that in 2023 the city received 147 million visits, of which 31.2 million were overnight visitors, a year-on-year increase of 64.7 percent.

According to the 2024 Year of the Dragon Spring Festival travel report, released by Chinese online travel giant Ctrip, tourism orders in Guiyang saw a 105 percent increase compared to last year, with ticket sales increasing nearly sixfold.

The report also named Guiyang as one of the top 10 "dark horse" tourism destinations for domestic self-driving tours during the recent Spring Festival holiday.

Museum in the village

For those who want to enjoy a cultural experience, but escape the hustle and bustle of the city, they may be pleasantly surprised to find that there is a museum in a small village on the outskirts of Guiyang.

The Museum of Memory on Hands is located 20 kilometers west of the downtown area, in a village called Wenggong (from the language of the Miao ethnic group meaning "golden spring").

The museum collects a wide range of intangible cultural heritage artifacts from various ethnic groups in Guizhou, including, the Miao, Bouyei, Dong, Yao, Gelao, and Sui. It currently houses a total of 4,819 items.

Wang Xiaomei, a former journalist, is the founder of this museum. It was in 2002, when Wang had just joined the workforce, that she collected her first piece of Miao wax-dyeing work.

Fascinated by the ancient craft, she has been collecting items related to wax dyeing, printing and dyeing, tie-dyeing, maple-fragrance dyeing, paste dyeing, as well as embroidery, ever since.

In 2018, Wang returned to her home in Wenggong village and dedicated herself to a project focusing on the collection, study, exhibition and revitalization of traditional handicrafts, which later evolved into the Museum of Memory on Hands.

The new, phoenix-shaped building opened to the public in May last year. It is a harmonious blend of modern brick and concrete architecture and utilizes traditional mortise and tenon wooden frames. It has a permanent exhibition area of 1,500 square meters and a temporary exhibition area of 300 sq m, displaying exquisite embroidery and dyeing artworks from the various ethnic groups in Guizhou.

"Unlike traditional museums, with their large glass display cases, we adopt an open storage approach, which is popular in Europe and the United States. It allows visitors to get a closer look at the exhibits and participate in their interpretation," she says.

Visitors can also learn about ancient book restoration techniques in the studio, or experience traditional printing and dyeing handicraft using natural plant dyes in the intangible cultural heritage handicraft experience area.

"The village has preserved many folk activities, and the museum is working with the villagers to revive some of the traditional customs. Any visitor to the museum can participate in these activities," Wang says.

The museum welcomed more than 17,000 visitors last year. However, Wang is not particularly concerned about the number of visitors, but more about whether they truly appreciate and cherish these artifacts.

"I don't want these beautiful artifacts to be merely display items. I hope more people who really have a passion for these crafts come to interact with us," she says.

She says that the museum has built "a craft-and-bed hotel" with 22 rooms where visitors who really love traditional handicrafts can stay. Prices range from 200 yuan ($27.8) to 1,000 yuan per night.

The hotel offers dozens of experiential courses, and, while staying there and indulging in traditional handicrafts, visitors are also provided with food sourced from local organic produce, Wang says.

The museum is only 5 kilometers from the nearest subway station. However, it is fairly secluded, due to the only access being along a rugged, 3-km country road. Wang thinks the location is appropriate.

"In this bustling era, there is a need for a piece of land that can bring tranquility and offer healing to people," she says.