Liupanshui Overview

Liupanshui lies in the junction of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces, the watershed of the upper reaches of the Yangtze river and the pearl river, the Banks of the Nanpanjiang and Beipanjiang rivers, rich in mineral resources, is a heavy industry city with the main industry of energy raw materials. With convenient transportation, it is an important railway hub city and one of the distribution centers of logistics in southwest China.

Basic Information

• Chinese Name: 六盘水市
• Location: West of Guizhou Province
• Government Seat: Zhongshan District(钟山区)
• Area: About 9965 square kilometers
• Population: An approximate population of 2,924,100
• Minorities: Yi, Miao, Bouyei, Bai, Hui, Gelao, Shui, etc. 
• Language: Southwest Mandarin
• Airport: Liupanshui Yuezhao Airport(六盘水月照机场)
• University: Liupanshui Normal University
• Important Festivals: Zhexi Nuo Opera of Yi(折溪傩戏), Cai Hua Dong of Miao(采花洞), Tiaohua festival of Miao(跳花节) and Torch festival of Yi(火把节).
• Main Railway Stations: Liupanshui Railway Station, Liuzhi Railway Station, Panzhou Railway Station, Yushe Railway Station.
• Famous Attractions: Wumeng Grassland, Suoga Longhorn Miao Scenic Area, Yushe national forest park
• Gross Regional Production: 131.37 billion(in 2016)

Geography

Liupanshui is located in the western part of Guizhou province, at the junction of Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Guangxi, about 300-500 kilometers away from Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guiyang and Nanning. The total area is 9,965 square kilometers, accounting for 5.63% of the province's total area. The city is adjacent to Anshun city in the east, Qianxinan prefecture in the south, Qujing city of Yunnan province in the west and Bijie city in the north.

The terrain of Liupanshui is high in the west and low in the east, high in the north and low in the south. Due to the strong cutting erosion of the Beipanjiang river, the central area fluctuates violently. The general altitude is between 1400 and 1900 meters above sea level. The highest point on the ground is in Dawan town of Zhongshan district, with an altitude of 2845.7 meters. The lowest point is in the Beipanjiang river valley of Maokou township, Liuzhi special district, with an altitude of 586 meters and a relative height difference of 2259.7 meters. Geomorphic landscape is dominated by mountains and hills, as well as basin, mountain plain, plateau, platform and other geomorphic types.

Climate

Liupanshui city belongs to subtropical monsoon climate, influenced by the low latitude and high altitude, featuring pleasantly cool, comfortable, moist and fresh, with moderate ultraviolet radiation. Liupanshui is located in Wumeng mountain area of the west of Guizhou province, annual average temperature of 15℃, the summer mean temperature of 19.7℃ and the winter average temperature of 3℃, no severe winter in winter and no intense heat in summer. Annual precipitation is 1200-1500 mm, and frost-free period of 200 to 300 days. Due to the large terrain fluctuations, partial climate differences are obvious.

Best Time to Visit

Liupanshui travel is possible throughout the year. However, known as "Cool City of China" and summer resort, the best time to visit Liupanshui is in summer. 

Administrative Divisions

Liupanshui city has jurisdiction over 4 county-level administrative areas and 2 provincial economic development zones(Zhongshan economic development zone and Hongguo economic development zone). The seat of government is in Zhongshan District. 

• 2 Districts: Zhongshan District(钟山区) and Liuzhi Special District(六枝特区)
• 1 County-level city: Panzhou City(盘州市)
• 1 County: Shuicheng County(水城县)

Liupanshui Culture

There are a total of 44 minorities in Liupanshui city, and in the long course of history, these ethnic minority people live in harmony with nature, create and inherit the excellent intangible culture, which forms unique ethnic customs. Ethnic customs(like Tiaohua festival, Longhorn Miao), folk music(folk song and instruments of various ethnic groups), folk dance(custom dance, sacrificial dance, sport dance, etc), folk opera(Di opera and Nuo opera) and cultural heritages form the rich ethnic culture in Liupanshui. 

Transportation

You can get to Liupanshui by air, train or long-distance bus. At present, Liupanshui Yuezhao airport has opened domestic routes such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Kunming, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Changsha, Xi'an, Fuzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Zhengzhou and Tianjin. Within the territory, There are Guikun(Guiyang-Kunming) Railway, Neikun(Neijiang city-Kunming) Railway, Shuibai(Liupanshui-Baiguo Town) Railway, ZhuLiu complex line, Panxi Railway and Liuzhan complex Line passing through. The highway network that takes Shuihuang high-grade highway, GZ65 national highway main line, Shuipan highway and Panbai highway as the trunk, and county, township and village three-level highways crisscross, has been formed. Therefore, Liupanshui's important traffic hub position in southwest area is more prominent.

What to Do in Liupanshui

Liupanshui is rich in tourism resources, within the territory, waterfalls, karst caves, forests, canyons, lakes, hot springs can be found everywhere, is a veritable mountainous park. Here are numerous scenic spots, natural and cultural landscape, including Yushe national forest park, Yushe ski field, Wumeng Mountain national geopark, Minghu lake wetland park, Jiucaiping scenic area, Francois's Leaf Monkey nature reserve, Suoga Longhorn Miao Scenic Area, Dadong ancient human site(大洞古人类遗址), Panxian meeting site and Xinmin Palaeontological fossil group site, etc. Come to Wumeng grassland to experience Guizhou's unique plateau pastures, where there are beautiful alpine lakes and rich Yi customs.

History

Liupanshui has profound history and culture. According to the Records of History, in the Spring and Autumn period, Liupanshui belonged to the Zangke ancient country, and from the warring States period to the Western Han Dynasty, it belonged to the hinterland of Yelang kingdom. During the long March of the Red Army, the red army passed through liupanshui, and central leaders such as Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao and other central leaders inspected Liupanshui in person. Within the territory, the banks of Nanpanjiang and Beipanjiang river, and Badan Mountain area(八担山区) gave birth to the rich and colorful ethnic customs and folk culture of the Miao, Yi, Buyi and other ethnic minorities. Hundred thousand of industrial factory workers from all over the country constructed, lived and developed here, bringing with them the cultures and customs of various regions, and forming the integration of the ancient culture (primitive culture and Yelang culture), red culture, ethnic culture, third-tier culture and other diverse cultures.

Water Resources

Liupanshui city is located in the watershed zone of the Yangtze river basin and the pearl river basin, with the Yunnan-Guizhou railway as the watershed line. North of Yunnan-Guizhou railway belongs to the Wujiang river system of the Yangtze river basin and south of Yunnan-Guizhou railway belongs to the pearl river system. Wujiang river system in Liupanshui takes the Sancha River as the main stream, located in the north of the city, including Shuicheng county, Liuzhi special district and part of Zhongshan district. The Beipanjiang river is the main stream of the pearl river system, running through the city from west to east. There are 71 rivers with a length of more than 10 kilometers or a catchment area of more than 20 square kilometers in the City, among which 14 are Wujiang river system and 57 are Pearl river system. In addition to several main streams, rivers within the territory are mostly rain-fed rivers, in the dry season, flow cutoff of the rivers occurs frequently.