Guizhou's river road becomes tourism hot spot

A road along Chishui River in Chishui, Southwest China's Guizhou province, has become a tourism hot spot.

The Chishui River Road is flanked by the Danxia landform (steep red sandstone cliffs).

The road was developed in 2016 to boost tourism and involved a total investment of 4.5 billion yuan ($671 million).

Also, the local government then shut down a group of polluting and energy-guzzling plants in the area. And many river sections were treated to improve water quality, with the local flora and fauna plants and historical sites protected during the development.

The river road now runs 160 kilometers from Guizhou's Maotai town to Chishui's downtown area. And it has cycling lanes, rest points, sightseeing platforms and stone sculptures.

Many sports events have been staged in the area since the road's inauguration.

On April 6, cross-country cycling and canoeing races for business school students were held covering more than 20 scenic spots, including a former campsite of the Red Army and a national forest park.

"It was the best experience I've had," says Hu Che from Nanjing University.

Hu was impressed by the river valleys, fresh air and beautiful landscape he encountered during the races.

To date, the road has integrated culture, industry, health preservation elements and increased local income.

Speaking about the road, Zunyi Culture and Tourism Group's deputy general manager Li Tingjuan says: "It (the road) is like a chain embedded in the Chishui river bank, connecting all the scenic spots along the way."

The road saw about 200,000 visitors in the first half of 2018, says Li.

Meanwhile, some formerly unknown attractions have gained popularity since the road opened.

And the tourism has also encouraged locals to start up agri-tainment businesses or sell bamboo works and paper umbrellas as souvenirs.

Xie Nana and her husband used to work away from their home near Chishui River.

But they decided to open a small restaurant when they heard the local government was aiming to turn the road into a tourism hot spot.

Now, her restaurant is often been fully booked and can earn her family an annual income of 300,000 yuan.

Contact the writers at yangfeiyue@chinadaily.com.cn