Reverse Tourism: A Cool and Relaxing Small Town 3 Hours by High-Speed Rail from Chengdu
The more cities I visit, the more I favor those hidden gem destinations. This time, I went to a small town in Guizhou🏯, with no overwhelming publicity and no crowds, yet it gave me a long-lost sense of relaxation🍃.
No need to rush through attractions, no need to squeeze through crowds👌🏻. Slow down, stroll through the 600-year-old Tusi Ancient Town in the cool 20-degree weather, explore the underground Karst Kingdom, trace the footsteps of legendary figures, and try authentic local cuisine🥙. It turns out that reverse tourism in lesser-known small towns is the real cure for a holiday‼️ The key is the super convenient high-speed rail, making a weekend round trip easy~
This is Bijie, Guizhou, with a cool climate, a great choice for summer heat relief. I spent a few days organizing this cool, traffic-free travel plan, worth saving👇
🚄 How to Get There
- High-speed rail preferred: Chengdu → Bijie Station, fastest direct trip in 2 hours! Taxi or bus to the city center is very convenient. There are also high-speed rail connections from Guiyang, Chongqing, and other places.
- Self-driving: Bijie is located at the junction of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou provinces, with good road conditions, making self-driving a great option.
🚗 3 Days 2 Nights Itinerary
DAY 1: Bijie CITYWALK → Shexiang Ancient Town → Guizhou Xuanweifu
DAY 2: Bijie → Jiudongtian → Axilisi Jiucaiping → Bijie
DAY 3: Zhijin Ancient Town → Zhijin Cave → Return trip
✅ Recommended Highlights
1️⃣ Shexiang Ancient Town
Here you’ll find spectacular flower sea terraces, colorful flower bands layered like an earth oil painting. Rent Yi ethnic costumes for photos and instantly create stunning ethnic-style shots. The tranquility accumulated over time is very relaxing, with few people and beautiful scenery, making it highly photogenic.
2️⃣ Jiudongtian
A world-class Karst wonder combining underground rivers, caves, natural bridges, sinkholes, and canyons! Take a boat ride under nine huge skylights, with shifting light and shadow, and countless stalactite shapes, as if entering a magical underground world. It’s relatively off the beaten path, avoiding crowds. The trip involves hiking and boating, with moderate intensity, and the scenery is definitely worth the ticket price.
3️⃣ Guizhou Xuanweifu
A restored ancient official government office, a massive Yi ethnic palace with nine layers and eight courtyards, recreating the filming scenes of "Lady Shexiang." The dragon and tiger totem carved railings are especially impressive, perfect for photos.
4️⃣ Zhijin Ancient Town
A newly built ancient-style town, reconstructing the look of the old Pingyuan Prefecture, large in scale, including cultural relics like the Confucian Temple, Dinggong Ancestral Hall, and Caishen Mountain. Small bridges and flowing water paired with Hui-style architecture, with lanterns lighting up at night, feels like a time travel experience. Free to enter, perfect for strolling, taking photos, renting Hanfu costumes for check-ins, or daydreaming by the river—enjoy however you like~
5️⃣ Zhijin Cave
Known as the pinnacle of Chinese karst caves, a giant stalactite forest 17 stories high, illuminated to look like a fairy treasure trove! Take a boat through the underground dark river, hike to see wonders like the "Overlord Helmet" and "Silver Rain Tree," even more stunning than a sci-fi movie.
6️⃣ Axilisi Jiucaiping
Home to spectacular cloud meadows, with breathtaking summer scenery covering the hills, temperatures only around 20 degrees, and you can also enjoy sea-of-cloud sunrises and peak cluster views.
🍜 Food Recommendations
- Linji Bean Soup Dumpling Hotpot
- Douhua Small Dishes Restaurant
- Yan Roasted Live Oil Pancake
🏠 Accommodation Recommendations
- Atour X Hotel Bijie: Located in the bustling new city area, right next to shopping malls and food streets, convenient parking, and great value for money.
Bijie is not a flashy internet-famous spot that stuns at first glance. Coming here lets you rediscover the true essence of travel and inner peace✨.