Libo Xiaoqikong

Location

Libo County, Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province

Stories and legends

The Xiaoqikong old bridge has attached legends of a Buyi youth — the legendary layer.

History and context

Xiaoqikong ("Small Seven Arches") takes its name from a seven-arched stone bridge built in the Daoguang years of the Qing (around 1836). The scenic area strings together the Laya Waterfall on the Xiangshui River, the 68-Tier Cascade, Wolong Pool, the Water Forest, Cui Valley and Yuanyang Lake. Libo Karst was inscribed in 2007 as part of Phase I of the "South China Karst" World Natural Heritage. Its water colour, filtered by travertine and vegetation, runs blue-green, with marked differences between the high- and low-water seasons. The scenic area runs a sightseeing-bus line system (per official rules).

Local life

Xiaoqikong's temperament is "a kindergarten of water": unlike Huangguoshu, which overwhelms by force, here the water plays — in the Water Forest, trees grow out of the water, fish dart between the rocks and children paddle in the shallows. Buyi, Shui and Yao villages ring the scenic area, and the night-market barbecue and sour pork of Libo county town on the Zhang River put the day's mountain-and-water sentence to an end amid hearth-smoke.

Customs

Boating on Yuanyang Lake (hand-rowed boats) and playing in the Water Forest are family set pieces (opening depends on water conditions).

Beliefs

No specific religious association; the traditional beliefs of the surrounding peoples form a cultural layer, with karst natural heritage dominant overall.

Local etiquette

In the Water Forest and other water-play areas, play only in the opened stretches and never slip into the deep pools; the travertine flats and vegetation are fragile — do not step off the path; wear a life jacket when boating on Yuanyang Lake and never stand up.

Visiting notes

Best in the May–October high-water season; entering at the east gate and leaving by the west runs downstream and saves the most effort (the route follows the scenic guide); Guiyang / Libo high-speed-rail stations have convenient connections (the Libo station's opening greatly shortened the drive, per railway announcements); staying in the county town is better value than inside the scenic area.

What to eat nearby

Libo sour pork (a Buyi / Shui flavour of fermented meat — those with weak stomachs should choose carefully); Zhangjiang grilled fish; bayberry soup (in season) and rice crisps; tofu-pudding grilled fish; Zhang River fish

Libo county town's food street, the night market along the Zhang River

Sour pork is a raw / semi-raw fermented traditional preparation — after being informed, try a little, or ask the shop to cook it through; for grilled fish, ask the price per kilo first

A full meal 50–100 yuan (for reference only)

The scenic area is large, so the sightseeing-bus ticket is a must-buy; Wolong Pool is the cover shot, with the best light before noon.