Trekking in Guizhou Province, Southern China (page 2 of 2)

I quickly checked out the F2 thing. "Miao" is the Chinese name for the Hmong; actually, they're the main ethnic group in Laos. So if you want to meet Miao people, just look for Laotians in France, and 9 times out of 10 they'll be Hmong.

Generally, a Hmong person prefers to be called "Hmong," which means "free man" in their language, rather than "Miao." In Chinese, "Miao" has a pejorative connotation, implying uncivilized or raw (like "young shoot" in the rice fields). Originally, "Miao" didn’t even refer solely to the Hmong people.

http://www.toguizhou.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=16&id=25

There are three linguistic groups of Hmong in China (West, Central, East). I doubt those in Laos would understand the ones from the Moon Mountains featured on F2.

Could anyone point me to sources for detailed maps of the area?

Oh, maps!!!

Commercial road maps are already inaccurate. You shouldn’t rely on them too much: http://www.ilc.net.cn/map/GuiZhou/QianDongNan.jpg

Generally, online maps aren’t very precise either.

There are some old Russian maps that are quite detailed, but I’ve forgotten the site. You’ll need to adapt to the unique phonetics.

Billy ZHANG has a large, fairly detailed old administrative atlas of the region. Maybe the Chinese military maps...

You said: - "the tourist infrastructure is minimal (except for a few sites)". Which ones, please? — - "difficult to visit without some knowledge of Mandarin". Is it possible to find a local guide? Do you have an address?

"The tourist infrastructure is minimal (except for a few sites)". Which ones, please? —" When it’s not minimal... it’s because it’s too touristy!!!

For guides at the CITS in Kaili who speak at least English, or even French, you can find Billy ZHANG and WU Zeng Ou.

Billy ZHANG is a Hmong who speaks fluent English and is improving in French (you can test his current level). I met Billy ZHANG (his Hmong name is Vai) by chance in October 2007 because we were staying at the same guesthouse. He’s the reason I fell in love with Qiandongnan (literally Southeast Guizhou) because he told me about a festival that was about to take place in a village with no road access (you had to navigate a maze of terraced rice fields) in Rongjiang District in the Moon Mountains. I hesitated to go. I didn’t regret it. It was 9 nights staying with locals, completely off the grid. The biggest festival I’ve ever seen there. Very little water to wash with, but one of the most beautiful memories of my life (I’ve had others in the region). That’s why I’ve spent 2 to 5 months in the area every year since (this year, I’m "late" to go).

I can’t find his French introduction anymore. Here’s the English version: http://www.toguizhou.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=lists&catid=40 Here’s a non-exhaustive list of festivals in French on his site: http://www.toguizhou.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=14&id=56

WU Zeng Ou’s office is next to Billy ZHANG’s. WU Zeng Ou is Dong. (He’s been to France before: https://scontent-cdg2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/t31.0-8/s960x960/11794442_1441480326180372_7645766029878104334_o.jpg)

His website seems to be down: http://www.minority-tour.com/

So here’s a backup: https://www.tourhq.com/guide/cn27568/zeng-ou-wu and his Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009552548535

Personally, I use Google Earth, Google Maps, and Baidu.com to plan my hiking routes. It's not comparable to our famous French IGN maps,

Yeah, heading out with just a backpack and embracing the adventure seems best to me... and I don’t have the courage or time to prepare maps...

As a Hmong person who has done some research on my ethnic origins (particularly in China), I’d like to add some thoughts on what’s often said: the meaning "free man" isn’t certain—it’s more of a recent interpretation without real foundation...

We shouldn’t confuse the terms Miao and Meo. The latter is seen as pejorative by the Hmong, but it’s only used in Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. During my encounters with Hmong and Miao people in Yunnan and Guizhou, no one gave me the impression that the term Miao had a negative connotation.

It’s important to understand that "Hmong" is the term used by some Miao groups to refer to themselves in their own dialect, just as other Miao groups use different terms in theirs. There aren’t three linguistic groups for the Hmong, but rather for the Miao. The Hmong speak one of these dialects—the western one (Yunnan, Guangxi, western/southwestern Guizhou).

The Miao featured in the France 2 show are "Hmu" Miao from Qiandongnan, so their dialect is quite hard for a "Hmong" Miao from Laos or even Yunnan to understand.

Hi,

I also spotted this travel agency that’s been around for a while: http://villagechina-travel.com/category/trip They’re based in Guiyang. Even if you don’t want to book with an agency, it might give you some ideas. Siya

I’m planning to go trekking there. If I run into any issues, can I ask for your help? Of course, if you’re available

Hi Cécile, I posted a message some time ago about Guizhou Province. And finally, we’ve booked our flight tickets for next April... Right now, there are 3 of us going. Have you managed to do any trekking in that area yourself? Best regards, Geneviève

Personally, I use Google Earth, Google Maps, and Baidu.com to plan my hiking routes. It's not comparable to our famous French IGN maps, but I haven't found anything better.

In France, I use Maps.me on my phone, but in China...

Following the latest "movement" in this discussion thread yesterday, I just took a look at 高德地图 (Gaode Ditu), which I'd heard great things about years ago. I tested two routes that are "dear" to me:

On the computer version, it looks very clear.

For example, to get to the magnificent Gaopai festival in late December 2007 (9 nights on site), I had to get off the bus at 兴华 Xinghua, then leave the road (Gaopai was far from any roads back then) for a 3-hour walk (in theory, because I ended up taking 9 hours due to "wandering" and arrived in the middle of the night. The women in the fields didn’t understand Chinese. There was no path). On the way back, I followed locals who knew how to walk along the edges of the terraced rice fields without any signs (I think this type of route isn’t accounted for in this software).

Xinghua-Gaopai route: 3h 15, 1km http://gaode.com/dir?from%5Badcode%5D=522632&from%5Bname%5D=%E5%85%B4%E5%8D%8E%E6%B0%B4%E6%97%8F%E4%B9%A1&from%5Bid%5D=B03570N5AC&from%5Bpoitype%5D=190106&from%5Blnglat%5D=108.16245700000002%2C25.831805&from%5Bmodxy%5D=&to%5Bname%5D=%E9%AB%98%E6%8E%92%E6%9D%91&to%5Blnglat%5D=108.182244%2C25.904095&to%5Bid%5D=B0357000TY&to%5Bpoitype%5D=190108&to%5Badcode%5D=522600&to%5Bmodxy%5D=108.182244%2C25.904095&type=walk&policy=0&dateTime=now

Three years ago, I was in 脚车 Jiaoche, a pretty "well-preserved" village that, I was told, isn’t so "preserved" anymore. I knew there was a path leading to nearby Gaopai (for pedestrians but not accessible to vehicles). Here it is:

Jiaoche-Gaopai route: 1h10, 5.9 km http://gaode.com/dir?from%5Bid%5D=B0357001AO&from%5Bname%5D=%E8%84%9A%E8%BD%A6%E6%9D%91&from%5Blnglat%5D=108.204894%2C25.929347&from%5Bmodxy%5D=108.204894%2C25.929347&from%5Bpoitype%5D=190108&from%5Badcode%5D=522632&to%5Bname%5D=%E9%AB%98%E6%8E%92%E6%9D%91&to%5Blnglat%5D=108.182244%2C25.904095&to%5Bid%5D=B0357000TY-to&to%5Bpoitype%5D=190108&to%5Badcode%5D=522600&to%5Bmodxy%5D=108.182244%2C25.904095&type=walk&policy=0&dateTime=now

Well done, Gaode. I haven’t found any paths more clearly marked in China’s mountains.

On the other hand, it must be much less practical on the phone version (small screen, limited battery life, and how to use Perakun or similar for characters you don’t know?).

I’ll check it out during my next trip to Qiandongnan when I go pick up my new passport, which is ready.

Copying and pasting the link below "as is" into the address bar should work better than above:

gaode.com/dir?from%5Bid%5D=B0357001AO&from%5Bname%5D=%E8%84%9A%E8%BD%A6%E6%9D%91&from%5Blnglat%5D=108.204894%2C25.929347&from%5Bmodxy%5D=108.204894%2C25.929347&from%5Bpoitype%5D=190108&from%5Badcode%5D=522632&to%5Bname%5D=%E9%AB%98%E6%8E%92%E6%9D%91&to%5Blnglat%5D=108.182244%2C25.904095&to%5Bid%5D=B0357000TY-to&to%5Bpoitype%5D=190108&to%5Badcode%5D=522600&to%5Bmodxy%5D=108.182244%2C25.904095&type=walk&policy=0&dateTime=now

Same here

gaode.com/dir?from%5Badcode%5D=522632&from%5Bname%5D=%E5%85%B4%E5%8D%8E%E6%B0%B4%E6%97%8F%E4%B9%A1&from%5Bid%5D=B03570N5AC&from%5Bpoitype%5D=190106&from%5Blnglat%5D=108.16245700000002%2C25.831805&from%5Bmodxy%5D=&to%5Bname%5D=%E9%AB%98%E6%8E%92%E6%9D%91&to%5Blnglat%5D=108.182244%2C25.904095&to%5Bid%5D=B0357000TY&to%5Bpoitype%5D=190108&to%5Badcode%5D=522600&to%5Bmodxy%5D=108.182244%2C25.904095&type=walk&policy=0&dateTime=now

And finally, we booked our flight tickets for next April...

In April, there’s the 姊妹饭节 Jīmèifàn Jié (Sisters’ Meal Festival), a festival in 施洞 Shídòng (renowned for its textiles) from April 10 to 13, 2017. http://www.toguizhou.com/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=1&id=223

It actually takes place in Taijiang (where there’s an administration that funds the festival), Laotun, and Shidong proper. https://www.google.fr/maps/place/Qiandongnan, +Guizhou, +Chine/@26.8274151,108.295687,13.38z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x36bc4735621b44fb:0x565795e391383062!8m2!3d26.583442!4d107.982859

A detailed program is released each year with times and locations for the activities.

In Laotun, the hand-fishing in a muddy pond is “spontaneous.” The participants are super motivated. It’s a bit “touristy”—the dance floor is often overrun by Chinese photographers. There might be groups of Western tourists (though not the year the Icelandic volcano kept them at home). Since it was built, I’ve gotten into the habit of staying at a newer hotel at the entrance of Shidong (coming from Kaili). It’s cleaner than the guesthouses in central Shidong. But I come one or two weeks early to book a room—I want to be sure I get one. Prices skyrocket during the festival.

I’ve heard there are some great hikes along the river in the Shidong area.

From my personal experience, gaode.com and map.baidu.com are starting to be quite detailed, especially in urban areas. It seems that Google Maps (ditu.google.cn) is still better in rural zones, even though it hasn’t been updated in China since 2008.

If you want to post a really long URL on a forum, use Google’s URL shortener. Otherwise, with Gaode, it’s impossible to use a translator like Perakun, which is a browser extension, while Gaode is a website.

With Gaode, it's impossible to use a translator like Perakun, which is a browser extension, whereas Gaode is a website.

Yes, you can. In two steps. First, click the name on the map, then hover the cursor over the information.

Oh yeah, interesting! I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the info

Hi there, I’m bumping this thread because I’d like to do a 2-3 day trek through the small villages in the mountains south of Zhaoxing. Could you share your experience, Danniello, please? What route did you take? Where did you stay during your stops? If anyone else can help me get a clearer picture, that’d be much appreciated. Thanks in advance