毕节市

Why this place

Bijie is a mountainous city in northwestern Guizhou, and its Baili Dujuan — a hundred-li azalea belt — blooms on the high plateau every spring in one of the largest displays of wild flowers in China. It is also strongly Yi, Miao and Bai country.

What to see

• The Baili Azalea scenic area, flowering in March and April
• Caohai — a high-altitude lake near Weining where black-necked cranes winter
• The Jiucaiping and the Wumeng mountain country, with the Yi villages

What to eat

• Guizhou mountain cooking; Bijie is known for its 'weining' ham and its buckwheat
• The local sour soup and highland potatoes

Best time

March–April for azaleas; November–March for the cranes at Caohai