Once considered a cultural and economic backwater, Guizhou has begun to gain recognition for its breathtaking scenery and diverse cultural landscape. Guizhou Province has the country’s third largest minority population, after Tibet and Xinjiang. Different ethnic groups account for around 37% of the province’s total population.

As if this weren’t enough, the natural landscape of Guizhou is nothing short of spectacular. It boasts China’s largest waterfall and longest underground cave systems. There are massive sandstone cliffs and deep limestone canyons, turquoise rivers and emerald lakes, which make for stunning backdrops for hiking, rock climbing, and water sports. And thanks to a big investment in local infrastructure, the province is now easily accessible by flight and high-speed train, which means that it’s realistic to plan a 5-day trip without having to account for hours each day wasted on long, meandering bus journeys.

Our current Guizhou programs are focused primarily around culture and service, in the traditional village of Zhaoxing. We have developed a long-term partnership with a nearby Dong village, for the purpose of facilitating ongoing community service projects. Students will help the village residents with farming other labor-intensive work. During that time, students will be lodged in home-stay styles guesthouses. The program also includes many cultural elements (traditional paper-making, batik-making, ethnography interviewing), as well as breathtaking hike through the stunning Guizhou countryside.