The gateway to southeast Guizhou's Miao (Hmong) and Dong villages — terraced valleys, silver headdresses and the giant Xijiang Miao village.
Kaili is the transport hub for the Miao and Dong heartland of southeast Guizhou, where wooden stilt villages cling to green valleys and festivals fill the calendar.
Just outside town, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village — a thousand hillside households — is the headline sight.
Here are the highlights worth your time in Kaili.
The world's largest Miao village, a hillside of stilt houses and night lights.
¥90A quieter, authentic Miao village with welcome ceremonies.
¥20A small village known for batik and embroidery.
FreeKaili has its own kitchen — here are the dishes to try.
Guizhou's tart tomato-broth fish.
Sticky rice with herbs.
Fermented vegetables and meats.
Savory tea with rice and nuts.
The hillside village glows after dark.
Communal dinners with singing.
Dong villages gather to sing.
Kaili South Station on the high-speed line; ~40min from Guiyang.
Guiyang (KWE) is the hub.
Buses and DiDi to Xijiang (~40min).
Minibuses to smaller villages.
Where you stay shapes the trip. Three good bases:
Sleep in the village.
Convenient base.
Riverside wooden guesthouses.
Culture travellers chasing China's ethnic-minority villages.
