Xingyi Travel Guide: Explore Guizhou Chun’s Wine & Scenic Nature
Introduction:
Imagine strolling down an avenue of red maples, mountains rolling like ink washes on the horizon, and a faint aroma of liquor teasing your nose—this is not an ordinary forest park but a place where nature and a thousand-year brewing culture blend seamlessly. Guizhou Chun Scenic Area, a 4A-rated hidden gem, sits just a 10-minute drive from downtown Xingyi and spans about six square kilometers. Whether you seek blazing autumn colors, are curious about sauce-aroma baijiu craftsmanship, or want a joyful family getaway, this compact landscape hides delightful surprises.
1. Natural and Cultural Symphony: The Soul of Guizhou Chun
“Mountains as cups, culture as the brew” best captures the spirit of Guizhou Chun. The site is a microcosm of the Qianxinan karst, and also a living museum of sauce-aroma baijiu. In morning mists the eaves of the Fragrant Pavilion (Qixiang Lou) peek through like a scene from an old painting, as if ancestral brewing wisdom still drifts between beams. Afternoon sunlight filters through the red maple avenue to cast dappled patterns on the flagstones. Step into Cherry Blossom Valley and be swirled in a snow of pink and white petals—only then will you understand the true meaning of beauty here: a double intoxication of landscape and cultural memory.
2. A Visual Feast through the Seasons
Spring (March–April): Over 2,000 Somei Yoshino cherry trees burst into bloom, forming a 1.5-kilometer tunnel of blossoms that even the air seems to blush from.
Summer: Deep green takes the lead; lotus leaves crowd the surface of Soru Lake and you can drift in a boat into cool, poetic shade.
Autumn (October–November): The park’s highlight—three kilometers of red maple avenue becomes a flaming corridor, layered with golden ginkgo and crimson maple, making it one of Guizhou’s most spectacular fall displays.
Winter: Evergreens and the gray-brown brewing workshops create a warm-cool contrast; a light snow dusting the Mushroom Hotel domes turns the scene storybook-perfect.
3. Culinary Heritage: Exploring Sauce-Aroma Baijiu
As the ecological campus of the Guizhou Chun distillery, the area holds the most authentic baijiu secrets. Passing under the “Gate of Wine Fragrance” sculpture you can:
– Observe the traditional “12987” process in the brewhouse—(1-year cycle, 2 ingredient additions, 9 steamings, 8 fermentations, 7 takings)—and watch master brewers skillfully turn fermented grain with bamboo baskets.
– Touch weathered Ming-dynasty vessels in the Wine Culture Museum and learn the origin story of this sauce-aroma treasure outside Maotai Town.
– Blend a personal sample under a blender’s guidance to experience the magic of “a hundred aromas in one drop.”
– Finally, taste a ten-year base liquor: when the amber liquid glides down your throat, the landscape’s spirit and artisanal warmth rise together.
4. Fun for All Ages: Activities and Stays
Families with children should not miss the Sunlight Dream Kingdom:
– A 26-meter Ferris wheel offers panoramic views of the whole park.
– Bumper boats on the lake are a summer favorite.
– The animatronic T-Rex in the dinosaur playground guarantees delighted shrieks.
For nature lovers, stay at the Mushroom Wild-Luxe Hotel—white dome suites tucked among pine trees where you can stargaze from your bed and wake to birdsong. Quiet travelers can book a tea ceremony by Soru Lake, balancing the strong liquor aromas with the subtle fragrance of Guizhou Maojian tea.
5. Practical Info: Getting There and Tips
Transportation:
– 15 minutes by car from Xingyi Wanfenglin Airport (ride-hailing roughly ¥25).
– Take bus No.19 from downtown to “Guizhou Chun Scenic Area” station (fare ¥2).
– Self-driving visitors can navigate to “Guizhou Chun Scenic Area East Gate”; parking costs ¥5/hour.
Tickets:
– Peak season (Mar–Nov) ¥60 per person; off-season ¥40—includes the Fragrant Pavilion and Red Maple Forest.
– Wine Culture Museum requires an additional ¥30 (includes tasting).
– Amusement park pass ¥98; single rides ¥20–40.
Best time to visit:
Arrive before 9:00 AM to beat crowds; weekday visits in late autumn offer almost private access to the red maple avenue. The park closes at night, but Mushroom Hotel guests enjoy exclusive evening strolls.
Hidden experiences:
Every Saturday morning a market behind the distillery sells villagers’ homemade cili (Chinese wild rose) wine and coix-seed rice cakes—local flavors seldom on official maps but rich in authentic memory.
Conclusion:
At Guizhou Chun, every turn reveals a twin encounter of scene and flavor. When sunset paints the brewhouse bricks honey-gold, you’ll understand the local saying that this land naturally carries the yeast of liquor. Whether you come for autumn leaves, cultural immersion, or just a green space to run and laugh, this micro-vacation paradise near Xingyi has a charm that will happily make you linger. Start planning now—some kinds of poetry must be lived to ferment into lifelong keepsakes.
