Guiyang (population 3.22 million) was settled in the Song Dynasty (9601279) and incorporated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Located in the eastern region of Yungui (Yunnan-Guizhou) Plateau, Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou Province. Dense forests, rich biological resources and beautiful natural scenery have made the city of Guiyang an ideal destination for ecotourism. Consisting of Yunyan, Nanming, Huaxi, Wudang and Baiyun districts, Qingzheng City and Xiuwen, Kaiyang and Xifeng counties, Guiyang covers a land area of 8,097 square kilometres and has a population of 3.22 million. Known for, its beautiful forests, Guiyang has a total forestry area of 183,000 hectares (452, 193 acres), accounting for 37.7 per cent of the city's total land area. Forest construction has made great contribution to the Yangtze River and Pearl River basins. Around the city proper, there is a forest belt one- kilometre wide and 70- kilometre long. The 8,667- hectare (21,416 acres) forest belt is a unique scenic spot unlike any other in China. In the city proper, there are 520 hectares of forest parks. The largest one is the 426-hectare (1,052.6 acres) Qianling Park, which is constituted by high hills, dense woods, clear lakes and serene Buddhist temples. The city boasts 2,313 hectares (5,715.4 acres) of greenery. It leads the country in terms of per capita greenery area. In 1994, Guiyang was named one of China's garden- like cities. Since then, the greenery area has increased by 2.4 per cent annually. The city plans to launch a 100-million-yuan (US$ 12 million) project to expand the forest belt around the city. The expanded belt will cover a land area of 223 square kilometres. Diversified topography, pleasant climate and rich precipitation have made the city of Guiyang a unique biosphere. The city has 1,300 species of plants, of which seven are on the country's priority list of protection; and 203 species of wild animals, of which 10 are on the priority list of protection. The city has convenient transportation and developed tourist facilities. Among all the tourist spots, the most famous are the Hongfeng (Red Maple) Lake, a state-level resort featuring waterfalls, deep pools, lime stone caves, and dense forest; the Tianhetan Resort reputed for its mysterious caves; the Yangming Cave, where a famous Ming-dynasty philosopher Wang Yangming (1472-1528) meditated and gave lectures to his students; and the Jiaxiu Pavilion, the landmark building of Guiyang. Apart from the city sightseeing, tourists can visit the eight state-level scenic resorts such as the Huangguoshu Falls , Dragon Palace jf; -g , Hongfeng Lake, Zhijin Cave, Wuyang River; Four State-level natural reserves and 24 provincial-level scenic resorts found across the province.

Guiyang is the scientific and technological centre of the province. There are over 300 scientific and technological research institutes, 10 universities and colleges and 26 privately owned scientific research institutes in the city.

With 98 rivers, the city has a hydropower reserve of 7 . 55 million kilowatts.

The city has a power generation capacity of 1 million kilowatts.

In 1996, Guiyang was named by the state as a pilot city experimenting in reforms of state-owned enterprises. In 1998, both Chinese and Japanese governments selected the city as a model city for environmental protection. In 2000, Guiyang won the National Advanced Sanitation City title.

Confucius said that, the Wise delight in water;. the Good delight in mountains / the benevolent love water and the wise love mountains Guiyang is an ideae place that can satisfy both types of people.

Qianling Park

It is one of the biggest inner-city parks in China. It is a natural forest park in Guiyang with high mountains and a crystal clear lake. In addition to such natural scenes as ancient trees, lakes, ponds and lotus, the park boasts many spots of historical interest. On the cliffs of the hills, there are inscriptions by ancient calligraphers. The largest inscription is the 6.2-metre-high and 2.7metre-wide character hu (tiger) written by a calligrapher in 1860.

During the Anti-Japanese War, the famous patriotic generals like Chang Hsueh-liang (1901-2000 and Yang Hucheng (1892-1949) were jailed one after another in the Shuiyue Nunnery. The nunnery is now developed into a museum. The park is also home to some 400 monkeys. The 3,900-hectare Forest Park is located in the southeastern part of the city. It is China's earliest and largest forest park ever built in a city. In summer, as the temperature is two degrees lower than the other parts of the city, the park is an ideal summer resort.