黔南布依族苗族自治州

Why this place

Qiannan is the Buyi and Miao prefecture in southern Guizhou, and its Libo karst is a UNESCO natural site — a 'forest on stone' landscape of conical hills, clear rivers and caves. It is also where the world's largest radio telescope, FAST, is located.

What to see

• Libo Xiaoqikong (Small Seven Arches) — a clear river, waterfalls and forest between karst hills
• The Maolan karst forest reserve, one of the few forests growing directly on limestone
• The FAST radio telescope at Pingtang — the largest single-dish telescope in the world, visitable by tour
• The Buyi villages of the Huishui and Luodian valleys

What to eat

• Buyi cooking: sour fish, sticky rice and the local 'xiangzhu' (fragrant pork)
• Qiannan is known for its 'dushan' cured ham and its 'yangan' rice

Best time

April–June and September–November

Practical tips

• FAST visits are by guided tour with no electronic devices allowed near the dish