Wanfengling: the Ten Thousand Peaks Forest

What is Wanfengling?

Wanfengling (万峰林, "Ten Thousand Peaks Forest") is a belt of nearly 20,000 cone-shaped karst peaks stretching across the south of Xingyi, Guizhou. Geologists call it the finest example of cone karst on the planet; the Ming-dynasty travel writer Xu Xiake, who saw most of China on foot, wrote that this was where the empire's peaks became a wonder.

What makes it different from other famous karst areas — Yangshuo, say — is that it's a living landscape almost untouched by mass tourism. Between the peaks are rice paddies, canola fields and Buyi minority villages that have farmed this land for centuries. You can cycle through it on quiet lanes for hours and meet more farmers than tourists.

How to explore it

By bicycle — the right way

The single best way to see Wanfengling is from a bike saddle. A dedicated cycling greenway and farm lanes run down the valley between the peaks, past villages, fields and viewpoints. Regular and electric bikes can be rented near the scenic area entrances. It's mostly flat along the valley floor and suitable for anyone who can ride a bike. This is exactly what our guided cycling day tour does, with an English-speaking guide and lunch in a village home.

By sightseeing bus

The official shuttle makes a loop of the main viewpoints (General Peak, the Eight Diagrams fields and others) with hop-on-hop-off stops. Fine if you're short on time or travelling with people who don't ride.

On foot

Trails and ridge paths give you the elevated views the buses can't reach. A moderate day-hike through the peak forest and villages is the photographer's choice — especially at sunrise, when mist pools between the cones. See the Karst Ridge Hike.

East vs West Wanfengling

When to come

• Late February – early April: the valley floods gold with canola (rapeseed) flowers — the most famous season and worth planning around.
• May – August: everything is intensely green; occasional summer rain, dramatic light between showers.
• September – October: the rice turns gold before harvest — the second great photography season, and the weather is at its most comfortable.
• November – January: quietest and coolest; clear winter light, morning mist.

Practical notes

• From Xingyi city or the high-speed railway station, a taxi or DiDi to the scenic area takes roughly 20–30 minutes. A local city bus also runs to the entrance for a few yuan.
• Buy the entrance ticket at the gate or through Chinese apps; foreign cards can be tricky — carry some cash or set up Alipay first (see Travel Tips).
• Food inside is village restaurants — egg-fried rice with local smoked pork is the move. The Buyi village lunch on our tours is the better version of this.

Explore Wanfengling with a local guide →