A Blossom Tour Through Xingyi and Luoping – A World of Rapeseed Flowers

Spring is a sea of flowers, with peach blossoms, winter jasmine, azaleas and cherry blossoms all strutting their stuff. But the humblest little yellow flower, rapeseed, blankets the hills in layered waves of gold, dancing in the wind and packing a visual punch!

This trip follows the rapeseed bloom—come along on a flower-viewing journey!

Itinerary:

Day 1: Depart Beijing, fly from Daxing Airport to Xingyi, overnight in a Xingyi guesthouse

Day 2: Morning food crawl in downtown Xingyi, afternoon at Wanfenglin Scenic Area, overnight in a Xingyi guesthouse

Day 3: Morning at Guizhouchun Scenic Area, afternoon at Malinghe, overnight in a Xingyi guesthouse

Day 4: Boat ride on Wanfeng Lake, visit Nanlong Ancient Village, overnight in a Xingyi guesthouse

Day 5: Jinji Peaks and Luositian rapeseed fields in Luoping, overnight at a Kunming hotel

Day 6: Depart Kunming, fly back to Beijing Daxing Airport

Day 1: Beijing Daxing Airport to Xingyi

I’d landed at Daxing a few times before but never departed from it – so here’s a quick intro.

The departure hall spans two floors (3F and 4F), so double-check which airline to avoid going to the wrong level.

The direct flight from Beijing to Xingyi is on China United Airlines. I tracked flights and prices for a month, but when departure day came, it ended up pricey because their fare is base fare + insurance + checked baggage. Pre-purchase baggage allowance for a discount (78 yuan/piece); at the counter it’s 200 yuan/piece.

The dining at Daxing Airport deserves a shout-out – prices are the same as city restaurants, so you can eat and drink worry-free!

We arrived in Xingyi in the early evening. Xingyi Airport is small – deplaning, luggage and out in under 30 minutes. Xingyi is in Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou – Maotai’s home. I heard that before, every arriving passenger could buy two bottles of Maotai at retail price; unfortunately not anymore!

It was overcast on arrival, around 16–17°C, so still needed a windbreaker or light down jacket.

From the airport we crossed Xingyi city heading to Wanfenglin Scenic Area, where we’d be staying in a guesthouse for two nights.

Under grey skies, Wanfenglin had a different charm – an air of mystery, with layers of rapeseed flowers shimmering golden among the peaks.

My friend’s guesthouse sits right in the scenic area, with a beautifully landscaped courtyard. Many hikers would pause at the gate to snap photos and sip a coffee.

Overcast weather called for local hotpot – Mido Hotpot. The broth is simmered with assorted beans, cured sausage and bacon. First, sip the soup, then fish out the beans and cured meats, and then blanch various tender greens (some I could name, others I couldn’t). Piping hot, beans melt-in-your-mouth, broth richly savoury – a hotpot like no other!

Day 2: Xingyi city food crawl + Wanfenglin

In the morning, I pulled back the curtains to misty skies – the rapeseed fields and peaks looked like they were floating in clouds! The sun seemed ready to break through.

We skipped breakfast and drove straight to downtown Xingyi for a food crawl – starting right with breakfast!

I’d heard Xingyi snacks were staggeringly abundant: lamb rice noodles, chicken tangyuan, baba cake, chongchong cake, shuabotou, dumpling wrappers, douhua noodles… I was already hooked!

We spent the morning combing streets and alleys for various treats. By the end, five adults and one kid ordered just one bowl of chicken tangyuan to share – the shop owner gave us a look of pure disdain!

With all that food, we needed to burn calories, so we visited the Liu Family Manor. It’s a “tunbao”-style landlord and warlord complex, former home of Guizhou governor Liu Xianshi and guerrilla commander Liu Xianqian. Built in the Jiaqing era of the Qing dynasty, it grew along with the Liu family’s power.

Located downtown and probably not peak season, the manor was almost empty. We strolled around, and the morning gloom had given way to bright blue skies. We’d planned to go to Malinghe Gorge, but got stuck in traffic. With such clear weather, we promptly switched plans back to Wanfenglin to ride the sightseeing car and take in the high views!

Wanfenglin entry + sightseeing car: 110 yuan/person, bookable online. Show the QR code at the gate, queue up – each car holds about 10 people, departs when full. It goes uphill first, then through villages like Shangna, Zhongna and Xiana, ending back at the entrance.

Wanfenglin is composed of 20,000 karst peaks, one of the three great karst landscapes in southwest China.

The sightseeing car winds up the mountain road. On your right, a tapestry of peaks, fields and villages – the rapeseed in full bloom makes it kaleidoscopic. The terrain forms a dish-shaped sinkhole; the Bouyei people encircled it with tiered fields, looking from above like a giant Eight Trigrams diagram – spectacular.

We soaked in the hilltop panorama and village scenes, then got off at Xianahui Village to wander back to the guesthouse.

At the village’s Big Banyan Tree Square, ancient banyans stand guard by the bridge like giant umbrellas, lush and full of history.

Dinner was beef hotpot – yes, hotpot again.

Local beef hotpot has its quirks: the beef is yellow cattle, served either pre-cooked or raw; you can have it dry-pot style with a central broth or as a traditional broth hotpot; greens come in portions and you can ask for refills or specific varieties; dipping sauces can be spicy or mild. The beef was meltingly tender, broth rich and sweet, dip fresh and spicy, greens crisp and sweet!

A perfect hotpot dinner ended day one.

Day 3: Guizhouchun Scenic Area + Malinghe Gorge

For breakfast we went local – stir-fried rice noodles.

Friend mentioned it was market day, and since we city folks had never seen a village market, we decided to check it out after breakfast.

At the Big Banyan Street market, scattered stalls were already selling the freshest greens – bright and tempting, a yuan could buy a pile. In Beijing, you’d definitely grab some.

The main market was further in: first, pork – whole sides of pig on the block, sold by the half-side, no messing around. Then, stalls of vegetables, fruit, rice noodles, even clothes – lively, but small, just a village market. By the time we got there (past 9), the earliest shoppers had likely gone. We bought fruit for the day’s outing.

Back at the guesthouse, we set off for Guizhouchun Scenic Area, where the internet-famous Mushroom Wild Luxury Hotel is.

Tickets: 30 yuan/person, booked online en route.

The name Guizhouchun (Guizhou alcohol) hints at its boozy connection. Right at the gate, the air was thick with the smell of fermenting grains. We expected a small garden, but it’s huge, with a “Dream Kingdom” theme park. We spent nearly three hours exploring – quite a workout!

The park hugs a river, with themed zones on both banks, mostly flower-sea themes.

By the time we emerged, it was past noon and food called. Under our friend’s guidance, we had douhua noodles.

Afternoon: Malinghe Gorge to make up for yesterday’s plan. We reached the gate smoothly.

Tickets: 65 yuan/person, also booked online.

Inside the gate, there’s an elevator. Our friend suggested taking it down, then walking along the gorge to the Ten-Thousand-Horses Waterfall. But based on our Wanfenglin sightseeing car wisdom, we chose to walk down instead – only to find ourselves exhausted on the way back, and no single-ride elevator ticket! Lesson learned.

The gorge stretches about 15 km, but only part was open. We walked the west side to the waterfall viewpoint and back – supposed to be 2–3 hours, it took us nearly three. In summer, you can raft. The canyon was quiet, deep, with cliffs dripping with rock formations; the rushing water perfect for rafting.

From the east cliff, multiple waterfalls trickled; at the Ten-Thousand-Horses spot, they gathered into a cascade. Even in a dry season, the spray and roar was breathtaking – mist hit our faces and it was almost suffocating!

Exiting Malinghe, our friend mentioned a nearby village famous for corn, so roast corn and potatoes are a must. We dove into these down-to-earth snacks!

The village had set up a dedicated area for vendors, and plenty of cars were stopped there. Smoke billowed from grills turning out corn, potatoes, even tofu sheets.

Day 4: Wanfeng Lake + Nanlong Bouyei Ancient Village

Since we needed a 7-day COVID test for the Beijing flight, we first hit the village health station for a swab.

From Wanfenglin, it’s about an hour’s drive to Wanfeng Lake. En route, we saw banana sellers; our friend bought two big bunches, saying they’re delicious. I’d call them plantains – small, local, naturally ripened. Two varieties: one slightly tart, one sticky-sweet; I loved the sticky one.

Wanfeng Lake is a man-made reservoir from the Tianshengqiao High Dam hydropower project. The lake’s vast, surrounded by thousands of peaks. Visitors usually take boat trips. When we arrived, it was deserted. Bought tickets for a big boat, waited 40 minutes with no other tourists; the owner reluctantly gave us a speedboat ride for just three people – he was clearly pained!

Zipping across the lake, the green hills and blue water blurred – less leisurely, more Fast & Furious. On the lake stands an islet near the power station with Gilongbao Resort, a European castle-like structure, once for tours and stays, now reportedly closed.

You can’t visit Wanfeng Lake without eating fish. Our friend drove us to a nearby farmhouse restaurant. It sat by the road; on one side, free-range chickens, ducks and a watchdog; on the other, the dining area with a fish pond. We chose mouse fish (its face does look mousy).

We opted for hotpot style: the fish came pre-cooked. We started with the soup – incredibly sweet and delicate. Dipped the fish in the saucers, accompanied by fresh greens – pure bliss.

After lunch, we lingered over tea and melon seeds, relaxing.

Then, off to Nanlong Bouyei Ancient Village.

Nanlong has about 300 years of history, a classic Bouyei architectural cluster. All villagers are Bouyei. Our friend explained most young residents have been relocated to new government-built houses down the mountain, but some elders remain. They still practice traditional farming and weaving – looms, stone mills, all in use; the clothes are homemade, dyed and stitched by women, exuding an antique charm. We spotted an old lady sewing a Bouyei outfit; she told us the whole process, from weaving to dyeing to embroidery, was her own work – intricate! Chinese traditional crafts are awe-inspiring!

Leaving Nanlong, looking back at the village gate perched on high steps, it felt like we’d witnessed the weight of centuries…

On the drive back to Wanfenglin, we enjoyed the roadside scenery, spotting a peach blossom spot. We hopped out to wander through the flowers – spring, in all its vibrant life!

Day 5: Luoping Rapeseed Flowers – Kunming

Today we departed Xianahui Village in Wanfenglin, Xingyi, heading to Kunming, with a stop at Luoping’s 200,000-mu rapeseed wonder.

Luoping’s rapeseed flowers, in Qujing, Yunnan, are a stunning manmade landscape and a spring travel highlight. Jinji Peaks offers prime viewing – karst cones rising above golden fields, creating layered waves of color – that’s the signature portrait of Luoping’s flower sea.

This was peak bloom in Luoping; Xingyi’s had already faded slightly. The varieties differ too – Luoping’s flowers appear more golden, with larger petals. We truly followed the bloom’s footsteps to see the most magnificent display!

Jinji Peaks covers a vast area; the ultimate reward comes from climbing to the top for a sweeping panorama of the flower sea.

From Jinji, we went to Luositian, where the terraces form spiral patterns, like a screw’s threading from above.

The day was tight; by the time we’d explored Luoping, it was afternoon. A quick lunch, then we drove to Kunming – tonight’s stop before flying back tomorrow.

The drive from Luoping to Kunming took about four hours, arriving around 9 p.m. Our friend had to drive all the way back to Xingyi – so exhausting! We said hasty goodbyes and urged him to drive safely.

In Kunming, we checked into the Hampton by Hilton next to Kunming South Railway Station. Tomorrow, my friend would continue her journey from the station, while I’d head home to Beijing.

Day 6: Kunming Airport – Beijing Daxing Airport

Woke up naturally, savored the thought of a leisurely final breakfast. The hotel’s offering was just okay, limited selection.

After breakfast, packed, checked out, and headed to Kunming Airport for a China Eastern flight back to Beijing Daxing Airport.