Luoyang to Guizhou: Xijiang Miao Village, Xiaoqikong and Zhenyuan, 6 Days

Board in Luoyang in the morning for a full day of travel, arriving Guiyang North in the evening. A taxi into the centre, then out to Qingyun Road for snacks. The silk dolls are rolled by hand, thin wrappers cupped in the palm with fish mint and bean sprouts, the dipping sauce sharp with vinegar. Grilled brain wrapped in foil is just enough to hold you until morning.

Attraction introduction: Guiyang sits on the eastern slope of the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau at about 1,100 metres, named for the Gui mountain within its bounds. Karst peaks ring the city, and the climate stays mild both summer and winter.

Tips: Day one is transport, so plan nothing else. Guests generally find the snack stalls only fully out after 7 pm. In practice, the metro from Guiyang North takes about twenty minutes and beats a taxi in traffic.

Leave for Libo in the morning, over three hours to Xiaoqikong. The ticket is 120 yuan and the shuttle 40, entering at the west gate and leaving east, downhill the whole way. Wolong Pond holds that blue-green that looks lit from below, the sixty-eight cascade falls stack one over another, and at the water forest you can take your shoes off and wade among trees growing out of the rock.

Attraction introduction: The scenic area runs twelve kilometres in Libo county and joined the World Heritage list in 2007 as part of South China Karst. The seven-arch bridge dates from 1835 and is now covered in vines.

Tips: Entry closes at 4 pm, so a morning start is the only way to finish. Guests generally find the west-to-east route downhill and easy on older walkers. In practice, the shuttle is not optional; the distances are too long on foot.

Leave Libo for Leishan in the morning, over three hours to Xijiang. The ticket is 90 yuan and the shuttle 20 for four rides; drop bags at the guesthouse first. Walk the Baishui River in the afternoon, where wind-and-rain bridges one through five follow each other. At dusk climb to the viewpoint: a thousand stilt houses stacked up the slope, lighting one by one as the sky goes.

Attraction introduction: Xijiang is a cluster of more than ten hamlets in Leishan county, the largest Miao settlement anywhere. The stilt houses work in three levels: livestock and firewood below, living space in the middle, grain stored under the roof.

Tips: The village is all slope and steps, so a backpack beats a wheeled case. Guests generally find the viewpoint crowded at dusk, with lights coming on around seven. In practice, staying inside the village lets you catch mist over the terraces at dawn.

Walk the river again in the morning; the terraces were cut in November and stubble remains, water still running through the channels. Lunch is the long table banquet, sour soup fish with sticky rice, the host coming round with a bowl and a song for each cup. In the afternoon the Miao museum fills two floors with silverwork and embroidery, one full ceremonial silver set heavy enough to bow the case.

Attraction introduction: The Xijiang branch of the Miao is known for silver. A full festival costume carries over ten jin of it and rings as the wearer walks. New Year and the harvest festival both fall after the grain is in.

Tips: The banquet is priced per head and the rice wine is home-brewed with a delayed kick. Guests generally find the museum embroidery finer than anything sold on the street. In practice, wooden guesthouses carry sound, so bring earplugs.

Leave Xijiang in the morning and reach Zhenyuan by early afternoon. The old town charges no entry fee; the Wuyang River runs through it, houses built to the water, stone steps down to the surface. Climb Shiping Hill in the afternoon for the S-bend the river cuts below. Dinner is sour soup fish by the water with the wind coming off it.

Attraction introduction: Zhenyuan was a garrison town in the Ming and a river-and-road depot on the Hunan-Guizhou route. The Qinglong Cave complex clings to the cliff, holding Buddhist, Taoist and Confucian shrines since the Hongwu era.

Tips: The town is free while Qinglong Cave and Shiping Hill charge separately. Guests generally find riverside guesthouses noisy at night, so light sleepers should pick a back lane. In practice, take the other path down from Shiping Hill; the steps are steep.

Breakfast in the old town is a bowl of changwang noodles, chilli oil floating on the broth and blood curd sliced thin. Take the train from Zhenyuan to Kaili South, change for Guiyang, and board for Luoyang in the evening. Karst peaks slide past the window one after another.

Attraction introduction: Zhenyuan station opened in 1975 on the Hunan-Guizhou line. The rails to Kaili South follow the Wuyang River through gorges, tunnel after tunnel.

Tips: Trains from Zhenyuan to Kaili South are infrequent, so book ahead. Guests generally find forty minutes enough to change at Guiyang North. In practice, keep the departure day clear of ticketed sights.