Guizhou, China: Beyond Baijiu in the Chishui River Valley

ZUNYI, China, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from CNS: In Zunyi, Guizhou Province, the Chishui River links more than one of the country's major sauce-aroma baijiu-producing areas. Along the valley are ancient towns, Danxia landscapes and traditional crafts that remain part of local life.

Guizhou, China Beyond Baijiu in the Chishui River Valley

Recently, a foreign media delegation consisting of 23 members from multiple countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong, China, visited the Chishui River Valley for a cultural survey on the theme of "Crafting a Better Life." From wineries and ancient towns to natural heritage sites and cultural villages, the journalists explored the area, observing how Zunyi integrates sauce-fermented liquor culture with tourism, local traditions, and lifestyle experiences.

In Tucheng Ancient Town, Xishui County, more than 2,000 years of history can still be traced along its stone-paved streets. Once a busy salt-trading hub, the town now draws visitors to old merchant buildings and the Songjiao Museum, which was built around ancient fermentation-pit remains and displays more than 3,000 bottles of liquor collected from communities along the Chishui River. Some riverside venues are also experimenting with sauce-aroma baijiu cocktails, giving the traditional spirit a new twist.

Further along the valley, the delegation visited Chishui Danxia, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "China Danxia." Chishui Great Waterfall, about 76 meters high and 80 meters wide, plunges from red cliffs surrounded by dense forests, presenting another side of a region often known first for its liquor industry.

At Wujiang Village in Bozhou District, journalists tried traditional papermaking and lantern painting, while also encountering tie-dyeing, Miao embroidery and bamboo weaving. The resort has 182 regularly operating businesses and 20 boutique hotels and homestays. It received 1.2 million visits in 2025, nearly one-third from the neighboring Chengdu-Chongqing region.

Transport links are also making longer stays easier. In January 2026, the nearby railway station was renamed Wujiang Village Station. It is now served by 18 trains a day, with the high-speed rail journey from Chongqing West taking about 1.5 hours.

From wineries and ancient towns to World Heritage landscapes and living craft workshops, the Chishui River Valley is giving travelers more reasons to stay beyond a distillery visit. For the overseas media delegation, the journey offered a broader view of Guizhou — one shaped not only by baijiu, but also by its landscapes, heritage and everyday life.