Natural wonders

For those who like to be close to nature, a visit to the Baihua Lake near Wenggong village is highly recommended.

The lake itself is about 11 square kilometers, dotted with 108 islands of different sizes and shapes. The lake was named Baihua, which literally means "hundred kinds of flowers" in Chinese, and every spring it is engulfed in a blaze of color.

"Due to long-term strict ecological protection measures, no large-scale tourism development has been carried out here, allowing us to preserve an ecological wonder in the midst of the urban sprawl," says Zhao Ling, director of the general department of the Baihua Lake Scenic Area's management office.

The site covers 122 sq km, accounting for some 40 percent of the total area of Guanshanhu district in which it is located.

"The period from April to October is peak tourist season, and it's just a short Metro ride from downtown," he says.

Zhao says that the scenic area offers boat tours, allowing visitors to enjoy the full spectacle of the lake in about 40 to 50 minutes. Visitors can also enjoy barbecues, mahjong and sunbathing at farmhouses equipped to cater to visitors.

Tourists fascinated by Guizhou's karst landscapes can also visit Panlong Cave within the scenic area. Inside the cave are well-preserved, densely covered stalactites and stalagmites.

One of the stalactite columns has a diameter of around 4 meters at its base and is about 15 meters in length. Based on the average growth rate of stalactites, which is one centimeter per 100 years, this stalactite has been formed over a span of at least 150,000 years.

To better serve residents and tourists, the Guanshanhu district abolished the entrance fee to the scenic area in August last year.

Zhao says that villagers on the islands are renovating their houses into homestays to meet visitor accommodation needs.

"A 46.6-km-long slow travel system is currently under construction around the Baihua Lake. Once completed, it will offer visitors a different immersive experience," he adds.

Visitors interested in exploring the mysteries of the area's natural wonders should not miss the Geological Museum of Guizhou. With more than 100,000 exhibits, including ancient biological fossils, crystals, rock and mineral samples, the museum showcases Guizhou's geological history of the past 900 million years and a paleontological history spanning 600 million years.

Visitors can see rare fossils, including that of a 106-square-meter sea lily, as well as that of one of the most primitive reptiles on Earth, the Keichousaurus hui (an aquatic creature), and the extremely valuable remains of a Guanlingsaurus liangae (also a large marine creature) that was possibly pregnant at the time of its demise.