From Wikitravel

Zunyi (遵义) is a city in northern Guizhou province, China. It is famous as a Communist Party history site as it was here that Mao Zedong became a full member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party.

[edit] Understand

Zunyi is largely overlooked by foreigners aside from the few residents employed by Britain's VSO and the US Peace Corps and a scattering of foreigners teaching English at some local colleges or high schools and a single private language school. As a result, outsiders are still quite a rarity here and staring is common as is hearing "Laowai" shouted everywhere you go. The city does attract large numbers of Chinese tourists however and the road in front of the Zunyi Conference Site can get congested from all of the tour buses.

The local dialect combines elements of Guizhou-style Mandarin with Sichuanese although all people in town should be able to understand Mandarin.

[edit] History

Like most cities in China, Zunyi claims a long history. It served as the seat of government power in northern Guizhou during the Song and Yuan Dynasties. During the 19th century, the walled city of Zunyi enjoyed prominence as a trading town but became a Chinese landmark after the 1935 Zunyi Conference. The prefecture surrounding Zunyi city-proper bears monuments to the Long March and the civil war in Guizhou.

The region is famous for the military manoevers of the Red Army to escape the Guomindang (KMT) encirclement in the winter and spring of 1935. In order to break out, the Red Army crossed the Red River (Chishui) four times in a series of deceptions and feints to enable the bulk of the forces to escape into Yunnan.

After the establishment of the People's Republic, a new era for Zunyi's development began. Under Mao Zedong's leadership, cities like Zunyi in the Southwest became home to a hidden military-industrial infrastructure known as the third-front. The purpose of locating heavy industrial and military factories in such remote areas was to create a base for military industry out of the range of US and Soviet bombers. In the event of war, even if eastern and northern China were overrun, the southwest could continue to support a mechanized military effort. Mountains were hollowed out and heavy-industrial factories hidden in remote valleys. Zunyi's hills still contain many such caves and passages - which can be identified by the heavy iron doors leading into mountains.

[edit] Get in

By Train: Zunyi lies on the Guiyang-Chongqing rail line and can be easily reached from either city. A hard-seat only train runs from Guiyang to Zunyi and back two or three times per day. More expensive tickets can be purchased in Guiyang for trains travelling beyond Zunyi. This gives travellers the option of buying a bunk and taking a nap for the 3 and a half hour trip.

By Bus: Buses regularly travel between Guiyang and Zunyi with the last leaving Guiyang around midnight. Daytime buses can be undersold meaning it is easy to have room to stretch out. Although seats are assigned by your ticket, no one objects if you sit in the empty rows at the back of the bus. Until the highway is completed, bus trips will take between 4 and 7 hours.

By Car: Although hiring a car to take you from Guiyang to Zunyi can be arranged, it is very expensive. The bus is likely to be just as confortable and much cheaper.

[edit] Get around

Zunyi is a fairly small city but somewhat hilly. As a result you will see comparatively few bicycles. Walking is an option as most of the sights frequented by tourists are within easy walking distance.

By Bus: Zunyi has a developed bus network although buses can get crowded at rush hour. At the time of writing, Zunyi buses still had a rider whose job is to make change and shout the route of the bus in question.

By Taxi: Zunyi taxis cost ¥5 at flag fall and given the small size of the city, it is rare to pay more than ¥8 unless one is travelling at rush hour to locations well outside the city-center.

[edit][add listing] See

Zunyi Conference and Communist Party Historical Sites: As the site where Mao Zedong took full membership in the Politburo Standing Committee and where the CCP finally switched from a strategy favoring large battles and urban insurrection to rural guerilla warfare, Zunyi is awash in Red History. The historic site itself consists of 4 residences used by Party leaders, the former Chinese Soviet Republic State Bank, the old Catholic Church (headquarters of the Red Army's Political Department), and a museum. The main site is located in the heart of Zunyi's old town. Mao Zedong's residence is a 15 minute walk from the main cluster of buildings.

*Site of the Zunyi Conference: This former merchant's home served as the site for the politiburo meetings in January 1935. The leaders of the People's Republic from 1949 to 1997 attended this meeting including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and Deng Xiaoping. Tense confrontations between supporters of the Soviet and Maoist revolutionary lines ensued. In the end, the Maoist side won out and it was decided that the CCP should continue its flight across China (the Long March) and encourage rural revolt.

*Museum: The museum located across the garden from the site of the Zunyi Conference contains excellent exibits on the Zunyi Conference, the Long March, and the Chinese Civil War (1927-1937 and 1946-1949) in Guizhou. It is entirely in Chinese but the pictures and statues are impressive. English speaking guides are available.

Old Town: surrounding the Zunyi Conference Site as several blocks of "restored" Zunyi buildings. The area was largely buldozed in the early 1980s and reconstructed in a style suggestive of the prosperous mercantile Zunyi in the 1930s. Old Town is home to the best shopping and eating establishments in town. In order to promote "Red Tourism" the zoo at Zunyi Park was torn down in 2006 and replaced with several more blocks of traditional-style architecture.

Xiangshan Temple: This temple dating from the 1920s is the largest in Zunyi. It remains an active temple with worshippers in attendance. The road leading to the temple is a crowded market street thronging with food and fruit vendors, fortune tellers and incense sellers.

Fenghuang Shan Park: Zunyi is shaped roughly like a donut with Fenghuang Mountain at the center. The park includes Fenghuang Square (a cultural event venue and evening gathering place), multiple tea gardens, hiking trails, temples, and the tomb of the Red Army Martyrs. Although the flat area along Fenghuang Lu and the tomb of the Red Army Martyrs can be crowded the rest of the park is a quiet haven with excellent views of the city and opportunities for exercise.

Zunyi Park: Once the private garden of a local merchant, the park opened to the public after the revolution. Located along the river opposite Fenghuang Shan Park, Zunyi park contains typical Chinese park amenities. These include an amusement park, roller skating, snacks, tea gardens, rock sculptures and a large fish pond.

[edit] Around Zunyi

Jin Ding Shan (金鼎山): About 20 minutes northwest of Zunyi, Jindingshan is a pleasant pilgrimage site for Zunyi residents. One can visit the mountain and return the same day although the majority of visitor spend the night in the village below the summit. Pilgrims rise early to try and catch the sunrise from the summit. There is basic accommodation available (dorm style rooms yearound or tents in the summer) for ¥10-15 per person. In the summer the village hosts local entrepreneurs selling various street fare. The scenery on the mountain is lovely and the temples themselves are interesting if a bit run-down. In recent year donations from the faithful have restored some of the temples. To get to Jindingshan simply recruit a minivan at the local bus station about 100 meters north of Gaoqiao. Taxis, minivans, buses and even locals on their way to market can be recruited for the ride back to town.

Loushan Pass Battlefield

Hai Long Tun Fortress

Song Tombs

Maotai Township

Chishui

[edit][add listing] Do

[edit][add listing] Buy

[edit][add listing] Eat

Zunyi exibits the same excellent snacks and specialties for which Guizhou as a whole (and Guiyang in particular) is famous. In Zunyi, three local delicacies are worth a mention:

Liu Er Ma Mi Pi (刘二妈米皮): This snacking dish made with thick flat rice noodles is eaten by locals frequently as a light meal or to tide off hunger. The red oil sauce makes liberal use of Sichuan pepper giving it a distinctive numbing quality on the tongue. It also leaves a peculiar tickle in the back of the throat making it worth a try. Aside from the red oil sauce, it contains a few scraps of meat and preserved vegetables.

Yang Rou Fen (羊肉粉): Unlike its Guiyang cousin, this rice noodle dish dish is made using strips of mutton. Owing to the tastes of locals, yangroufen only comes available in a spicy broth. Addition of extra chilis during the cooking process is optional and you will be asked whether you want it or not. Yangroufen is rich and filling and often eaten for breakfast in Zunyi. Many shops remain open 24 hours making it a popular midnight snack as well. Pickled cabbage and radishes are available in the large glass urns in every shop - just help yourself. This dish is representative of Zunyi people who have a love affair with mutton.

NOTE: Mutton in China - the character 羊 (yang) means both sheep and goat in Chinese. As a result, 羊肉 (yangrou) is usually translated as mutton. Most often in Guizhou at least, mutton refers to the meat of the 山羊 (shanyang) which is a shaggy mountain goat raised for its hair and meat in the hills of the province.

Dou Hua Mian (豆花面): Interestingly named, douhuamian literally means "Bean Flower Noodles." It consists of of Douhua which is a type of semi-firm tofu served in a semi-clear soup, long flat wheat noodles and a separate bowl containing preserved meat, spices, oil, soy, vinegre and fresh mint leaves. To eat as the locals do, place the bowl with the noodles and tofu behind the smaller dipping bowl. Pull out some douhua or noodles, dip them liberally in the sauce and then consume. At the end of the meal, finish off the solids in the dip and drink the soup from the douhua.

[edit][add listing] Drink

[edit][add listing] Sleep

Jincheng Hotel is a 3 stars-level hotel in the north of Zunyi City. Tel:+868528621666 Orient Jianguo Grand hotel is a 5 stars-level hotel in the downtown of Zunyi. Zunyi Guest House is a 3 stars-level , the oldest and the only official hotel of the location government.It locates in the center of Zunyi's tralvelling district. Tel:+868528224902 World Trade hotel, a 4 stars-levelhotel is in the disrict of Huichuan , the center of adminstration. Notice : I cannot be sure the service assistant can understand English.

[edit] Get out

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