Gui Yang

Guiyang is the gateway to Guizhou, one of China's most underrated provinces. Guizhou cuisine is built on a trinity of sour, fragrant, and fierce chili heat — distinct from Sichuan's numbing mala or Hunan's dry heat. Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, the condiment found in kitchens worldwide, was invented here. The surrounding karst landscape and ethnic minority villages make it a destination that rewards travellers who look beyond the obvious.