Anshun

Anshun (安顺; Ānshùn) is a city in Guizhou Province, southwestern China. The city is rather small, but the huge waterfalls and caves in the surrounding area make this city a popular stop in most trips to Guizhou.



Understand
Anshun is a popular tourist destination just south of Guiyang. Waterfalls, caves and cool temperatures make Anshun an ideal summer vacation spot. The average temperature of Anshun is about 21 °C in summer. The best season to visit it is from June to October. Anshun ranked No 2 in a list of the Top Attractions of summer 2018, released by China Tourism Academy in July, following only Kunming of Southwest China's Yunnan province.

Today's city survives on tourism, subsistence farming, and its traditional batik industry, which capitalizes on the highly developed textile skills of the local Bouyi minority. The road between Anshun and Huangguoshu is roughly where Bouyi country starts to get interesting, so you could take a break between the must-see destinations to walk the countryside and do a little exploring. The Bouyi number around 3 million and live throughout western Guizhou. A writing system for the Bouyi language was devised in the 1950s and is used to record their rich folk literature. Surrounded by karst hills, Anshun has one of Guizhou's most scenic landscapes in the province.

Central Guizhou is the most travelled region of the province and it is also where the province's star sights, such as Huangguoshu Falls, Longgong Caves and Zhijin Cave, as well as its capital city, Guiyang, are located. Tourists flock here to Huangguoshu, the tallest waterfall in China. While not very well known to westerners, the Chinese TV version of the “Journey to the West” being filmed here means that almost everybody in China knows this scenery. Located on the Baishui River in Anshun, it is 77.8 meters high and 101 meters wide. Tourists can view the falls from many different angles, at the six main observation decks. Other popular sites, include the kaleidoscopic Dragon Palace Cave, and the Getu Karst Park which hosted the 2014 Black Diamond International Rock Climbing Championships. The Great Arch has become a magnet for technical climbers. Measuring 70 metres high and seventy metres across it is one of the largest such formations in the world and a challenge to thrill seekers from around the world. The Dragon Palace Cave is a spectacular underground karst cave 32 km southwest of Anshun. You can take a boat into the cave to view its spectacular subterranean scenery.

This is not very far away from the fascinating Zhongdong or Middle Cave where until around 2008 around twenty families were living in a humongous limestone cavern 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) up a mountain. This used to be the world's only year-round settlement inside a naturally occurring cave in China. Fifteen kilometres away from the nearest town, it had its own classroom, and basketball court as well as village houses.

History
Founded in the 13th century, the Anshun garrison grew into a prosperous trading post, mainly because of its strategic position along the overland trade routes between central and southwestern China. Once a centre for tea and opium trading, Anshun remains the commercial hub of western Guizhou and is now most famous as a producer of batik, kitchen knives and the lethal Anjiu brand of alcohol.

A Sunday market found in Anshun once drew large numbers of minority villagers from all over the countryside, though it has become of less interest. However, most weekends you will still encounter women villagers in traditional dress on Anshun's streets selling vegetables or things such as home-made brooms. Once a marvellous historical city ringed by a town wall, the city's heritage has largely vanished and it is the surrounding sights that are the real draws.

Orientation
The long-distance bus and train stations are 3 km and 4 km south of downtown respectively. The main commercial and shopping areas are found on Zhonghua Donglu, Gufu Jie and Zhonghua Nanlu.

Get in
Frequent buses travel between Guiyang and Anshun. The trip takes about 2 hours. There is still almost one hour's trip from Anshun to the famous waterfall, Huangguoshu.

Buses to Anshun leave from every one of Guiyang's stations (¥25, two hours, every 20 minutes from 07:00 to 19:00). Any Guiyang bound bus out of Xingyi or Weining will also let you off in Anshun if you tell the driver.

There are several bus stations in Anshun that are useful to travellers. The north bus station (客车北站; keche beizhan) has buses (¥34, three hours, every 20 minutes, 07:00 to 18:00) to Zhijin town (for Zhijin Cave). Almost every other bus now leaves from the new east bus station (东客运站; dong keyunzhan), 10 km east of the centre. Bus 16 (¥1) runs here from Zhonghua Nanlu opposite the Xixiushan Binguan. A taxi is ¥25 to ¥30.


 * Guiyang ¥35, 1½ hours, every 20 minutes (07:10 to 19:10)
 * Huangguoshu ¥20, one hour, every 20 minutes (07:20 to 19:00)
 * Kunmíng sleeper ¥150, 10 hours, four daily (09:00, 10.40, 13:00 and 16:00)
 * Longgong Caves ¥10, 40 minutes, every 30 minutes (07:30 to 18:00)
 * Pingba ¥15, 40 minutes, every 30 minutes (07:30 to 18:30)
 * Shuicheng ¥60, 3½ hours, every 50 minutes (08:20 to 16:40)
 * Weining ¥90, five to six hours, one daily (10:00)
 * Yunfeng ¥5, 40 minutes, every 30 minutes (07:30 to 18:00)

By train
The original Anshun Railway Station on Zhonghua Road and was built in 1960. Sleepers from here used to take ten hours to Kunming and 12 hours up to Chongqing. The new Anshun West railway station is part of the Hangchangkun Passenger Railway on the Kunming – Guiyang High Speed Train. From Kunming South Station to Guiyang North Station is a distance of 463 km (288 miles) which takes between two and three hours. Every day, there are about 40 G-trains departing from Kunming South Railway Station from about 07:00 to 21:00. With much shorter travelling time than driving for over 7 hours, it is easy to stop in Anshun (about 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes from Kunming South), and visit the famous Huangguoshu Waterfall on the way. In turn this is part of the 2,066-km (1,284 mi) Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway, which passes through the four provincial capitals, of Hangzhou, Nanchang, Changsha, and Guiyang. The last section, Guiyang–Kunming, was opened on 28 December 2016.

Most of the non-high-speed trains heading east stop in Guiyang (¥15, 1½ hours, regular), but they are slowly being phased out in favour of the G trains. It is still hard to get sleeper reservations for trains from here; pick them up in Guiyang at the ticket office a few hundred metres north of the train station on Zhonghua Nanlu. Destinations include the following but it is best to check to make sure that they are still running:
 * Cǎohǎi (for Weining) ¥37, three to five hours, eight daily
 * Guiyang ¥15, 1½ hours, regular
 * Kaili ¥43, four hours, nine daily
 * Kūnmíng ¥75 (seat), ¥133 (hard sleeper), eight to 10 hours
 * Liùpánshuǐ ¥24, 2½ hours, regular

Get around
Bus Number 1 zips around town from the train station and up Tashan Donglu, and on past the Hongshan Binguan. Bus 2 travels between the train station and the north bus station. Bus 16 runs from Zhonghua Nanlu to the east bus station. Buses cost ¥1. Taxi ﬂagfall is ¥6.

Do
The old part of Anshun, which lies in the northern of the centre area, is a nice place for an evening walk.

Festivals and events
A few minor festivals are held in the Anshun area, though they are generally not as spectacular as those held around Kaili. None of them are worth the trip to Anshun alone, but if you happen to be in town already, they are a pleasant diversion and certainly a nice excuse to get out and explore the countryside. Always double-check dates with local tourism officials before heading off into the wilds to attend any of the following festivities as dates are known to change from year to year, as well as the location. Tiaohua Flower Dance Festival Held in Miao villages during the first lunar month. The main location in Anshun is Flower Dance Hill, a few kilometres northwest of town; festivities occur from the 4th to the 6th of the first lunar month. Other gatherings are held at Machang and Gaofeng villages (Pingba County), halfway between Anshun and Guiyang, and in Qingzhen town.

Sanyuesan At Pogong (Guanlǐng County), 80nkm southwest of Anshun, and at Huohua (Ziyun County), 100 km south of Anshun, on the 3rd day of the third lunar month. The festival has different significance depending on what minority group is celebrating it, however, all groups mark it with singing and dancing.

Sìyueba ‘Ox King’ Festival Held at Jiuzhou and Shuangbao villages, both about 25 km east of Anshun, on the 8th day of the fourth lunar month. Liuyueliu is a Bouyi festival at Luohe (Ziyun County), 67 km southeast of Anshun, and Lazhai (near Huangla town), 56 km east, on the 6th of the sixth lunar month. Activities include ground opera and singing competitions. Eating New Rice Festival Held at Huolong and Dagouchang villages, 55 km east of Anshun, south of the main highway, sometime during the seventh or eighth lunar months. Newer festivals include the Guizhou Batik Festival, a state-sponsored festival set up to display (and flog) batik to the tourists from the 28–29 September. Authorities have also introduced the annual Guizhou Anshun Aviclub General Aviation Flight Carnival, which will hold promotional events for air travel.

Buy
The region produces a lot of batik (蜡染画; làrǎn huà), some of the batik you see in Dali and most of it in Yangshuo is from Guizhou. There are also various other handicrafts. There are a group of stores selling these and other tourist bric-a-brac along the west side of the main street just north of the bus station. The train station is at the south end of the same street.

The stretch of Zhonghua Nanlu near Zhonghua Donglu is where the city's big commercial stores and shopping centres are located. The Wholesale Market of Small Goods in Anshun (Anshun Laran Shichang; Zhonghua Nanlu; 中华 南路) is the city's main market and probably the most interesting place to prowl. For a peek at the more contemporary side of Anshun, Gufu Jie is a street of trendy clothing stores and bakeries, and snack stalls that get so packed on weekends it is hard to move. Several ethnic groups across southwestern China have been traditionally involved in creating batik. For almost 1,000 years, the Bouyi around Anshun have been using batik as a background to embroidery on clothing, and since the establishment of a factory in Anshun in the 1950s, have come to monopolize the indigenous textile market. The designs, which were originally of abstract plants and animals, are drawn with wax on cloth. The cloth is then dyed in indigo before being boiled to remove all traces of the wax, leaving the pattern in white on a blue background. The earlier monochromatic batiks have now given way to multi-colored, mass-produced designs, which include stylized representations of zodiac animals, scenes from Bouyi legends, and mythical creatures. Today, Anshun's batik is in great demand across China.

Eat
There are lots of places to eat in Anshun, but precious little to recommend. There is a food market down an alley off Zhonghua Nanlu, just south of the Bank of China. There are some bakeries and several hole-in-the wall places on Gufu Jie. There is also a huge supermarket on Zhonghua Nanlu, perfect for picking up snacks for day trips. Be forewarned: dog is eaten in these parts… lots of dog. You will often see the skinned animals boiled and propped up outside restaurants as an enticement to customers.

Sleep
There are twin rooms for ¥100 just on the left when you leave the train station.

There is a lot of midrange accommodation in Anshun that is geared to Chinese tour groups, which is generally drab and undistinguished. Anju Binguan (220 1359) has budget rooms right next to the station but the bathrooms are tiny. Directly opposite is the Xixhiushan Binguan (221 1888) has doubles for ¥200-300 but the rooms are ridiculously cramped. Bathrooms are exactly the opposite – sparsely outfitted and often the same size or bigger than the actual sleeping area. Gongdianju Zhaodaisuo on (332 9124) Zhonghua Nanlu; 中华南路; only has basic little budget rooms with Chinese toilets and cubby-hole-like showers with no doors. Henghuangshan Dajiudian (Golden Phoenix Mountain Hotel (322 5663) with is garish classical Greek façade on Tashan Donglu; 塔山东路58号) has similarly priced rooms that definitely starting to show their age.

Among foreign tourists, the two most popular choices are the two western branded properties.

219 Xihang Road.
 * Set on the edge of the beautiful Hong Shan Lake, but still in the city center, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Anshun is adjacent to the municipal government, and offers easy access to highways, the train station and airport. Huang Guo Shu Waterfall is only 40 km away, and the Wen Temple of Anshun is within walking distance. Friendly staff greet you on arrival with a signature, warm chocolate chip cookie. Ask for a room overlooking the lake. They are slightly more expensive than the standard US$60 rooms, but are definitely worth it. The sunrise over the lake is breathtaking, and a fantastic way to start the day. Popular with business travelers on Hilton Honours Benefits. The view from the Executive Lounge is especially impressive. On the downside, even up here on the non-smoking floor, so of the rooms have really strong ashtray odours. A walk around Hong Shan Lake waterfront reveals swimmers in the lake and locals doing exercises. Ask the Concierge for directions to Gu Fu Jie at night, which is a buzzing food street. Tel: 851 3366 9666 No.42 Hongshanhu Road.
 * Howard Johnson Hot Spring Resort Anshun is 3 km from the airport and very convenient the high-speed railway station. Rooms and public areas are tastefully decorated with examples of local culture and characteristics. There is even a sky garden so that you can enjoy the surrounding mountain scenery By the time you read this, the hot springs will be open and operational. Special family suites make the place very suitable for those travelling with children.

Connect

 * Bank of China (中国银行; Zhongguo yinhang cnr tashan Xilu and Zhonghua nanlu; 09:00 - 17:00)
 * China Post (Zhongguo Youzheng; cnr Tashan Donglu and Zhonghua Nanlu) Tucked in next to the China Telecom building.
 * China Travel Service (CTS; Zhongguo Luxingshe; Tel: 323 4662; Tashan Donglu M-F 09:00 - 17:00) No English signs outside. Look for a blue sign with yellow Chinese characters.

Go next
The long-distance station on the corner of Zhonghua Nanlu and Huangguoshu Dajie has a handful of handy destinations, and the bus stand in front of the train station has buses for numerous provinces in the southeastern part of China. These are much reduced with the arrival of the high-speed train but still represent a budget option for immigrant factory workers and masochistic backpackers.

Destination Price Duration Frequency Departs Foshan ¥260 19hr daily 12:00 Fuzhou ¥360 32hr daily 12:00 Guangzhou ¥240 20hr daily 12:00 Shenzhen ¥280 22hr daily 12:00 Xiamen ¥320 28hr daily 12:00

By bus
Local buses depart every hour from Anshun's East bus station (¥5-10, 30 to 40 minutes, every 20 to 30 minutes from 07:00 to 17:00). The last bus returns to Anshun at 17:00. From March to October, minivans to microvans run all day between Longgong and Huangguoshu (¥15-30, 30 minutes), leaving when full. They run infrequently, if at all, the rest of the year, but there are always plenty of taxis at the Huangguoshu parking lot that you can take.