Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

in the southwest region of the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the south,

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked province in the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the C ...

to the west,

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

to the northwest, the municipality of Chongqing to the north, and

Hunan Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi ...

to the east. The population of Guizhou stands at 38.5 million, ranking 18th among the provinces in China. The

Dian Kingdom Dian () was an ancient kingdom established by the Dian people, a non-Han Chinese metalworking civilization that inhabited around the Dian Lake plateau of central northern Yunnan, China from the late Spring and Autumn period until the Eastern Han d ...

, which inhabited the present-day area of Guizhou, was annexed by the

Han dynasty The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...

in 106 BC. Guizhou was formally made a province in 1413 during the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

. After the overthrow of the Qing in 1911 and following the

Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...

, the

Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...

took refuge in Guizhou during the

Long March The Long March (, lit. ''Long Expedition'') was a military retreat undertaken by the Red Army of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the forerunner of the People's Liberation Army, to evade the pursuit of the National Army of the Chinese ...

between 1934 and 1935. After the establishment of the

Mao Zedong Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...

promoted the relocation of

heavy industry Heavy industry is an industry that involves one or more characteristics such as large and heavy products; large and heavy equipment and facilities (such as heavy equipment, large machine tools, huge buildings and large-scale infrastructure); o ...

into inland provinces such as Guizhou, to better protect them from potential foreign attacks. Guizhou is rich in natural, cultural and environmental resources. Its natural industry includes timber and forestry, and the

energy In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of hea ...

and

mining Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic ...

industries constitute an important part of its economy. Notwithstanding, Guizhou is considered a relatively undeveloped province, with the fourth-lowest GDP per capita in China as of 2020. However, it is also one of China's fastest-growing economies. The Chinese government is looking to develop Guizhou as a data hub. Guizhou is a mountainous province, with its higher altitudes in the west and centre. It lies at the eastern end of the Yungui Plateau. Demographically, it is one of China's most diverse provinces. Minority groups account for more than 37% of the population, including sizable populations of the

Miao Miao may refer to: * Miao people, linguistically and culturally related group of people, recognized as such by the government of the People's Republic of China * Miao script or Pollard script, writing system used for Miao languages * Miao (Unicode ...

, Bouyei, Dong, Tujia and Yi peoples, all of whom speak languages distinct from Chinese. The main language spoken in Guizhou is Southwestern Mandarin, a variety of

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

Name

The area was first organized as an administrative region of a

Chinese empire The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...

under the

Tang Tang or TANG most often refers to: * Tang dynasty * Tang (drink mix) Tang or TANG may also refer to: Chinese states and dynasties * Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) b ...

, when it was named Juzhou (), pronounced ''Kjú-jyuw'' in the

Middle Chinese Middle Chinese (formerly known as Ancient Chinese) or the Qieyun system (QYS) is the historical variety of Chinese recorded in the '' Qieyun'', a rime dictionary first published in 601 and followed by several revised and expanded editions. The ...

of the period. During the

Mongol The Mongols ( mn, Монголчууд, , , ; ; russian: Монголы) are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, Inner Mongolia in China and the Buryatia Republic of the Russian Federation. The Mongols are the principal member ...

-led

Yuan dynasty The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fift ...

, the character (''ju'', "carpenter's square") was changed to the more refined (''gui'', "precious or expensive"). The region formally became a province in 1413, with an eponymous capital then also called "Guizhou" but now known as Guiyang.

History

Evidence of settlement by humans during the

Middle Palaeolithic The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Pale ...

is indicated by stone artefacts, including Levallois pieces, found during archaeological excavations at Guanyindong Cave. These artefacts have been dated to approximately 170,000–80,000 years ago using

optically stimulated luminescence In physics, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is a method for measuring doses from ionizing radiation. It is used in at least two applications: * Luminescence dating of ancient materials: mainly geological sediments and sometimes fired pott ...

methods. From around 1046 BCE to the emergence of the State of Qin, northwest Guizhou was part of the State of Shu. During the

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded with the Qin wars of conquest ...

, the Chinese state of Chu conquered the area, and control later passed to the

. During the Chinese

(206 BCE–220 CE), to which the Dian was tributary, Guizhou was home to the

Yelang Yelang, also Zangke, was an ancient political entity first described in the 3rd century BC in what is now western Guizhou province, China. It was active for over 200 years. The state is known to modern Chinese from the idiom, "Yelang thinks too ...

collection of tribes, which largely governed themselves before the Han consolidated control in the southwest and established the Lingnan province. During the

Three Kingdoms The Three Kingdoms () from 220 to 280 AD was the tripartite division of China among the dynastic states of Cao Wei, Shu Han, and Eastern Wu. The Three Kingdoms period was preceded by the Eastern Han dynasty and was followed by the West ...

period, parts of Guizhou were governed by the Shu Han state based in

, followed by

Cao Wei Wei ( Hanzi: 魏; pinyin: ''Wèi'' < Middle Chinese: *''ŋjwei^C'' <

Jin dynasty (266–420). During the 8th and 9th centuries in the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

, Chinese soldiers moved into Guizhou (Kweichow) and married native women. Their descendants are known as ''Lǎohànrén'' (), in contrast to new Chinese who populated Guizhou at later times. They still speak an archaic dialect. Many immigrants to Guizhou were descended from these soldiers in garrisons who married these pre-Chinese women. Kublai Khan and

Möngke Khan Möngke ( mn, ' / Мөнх '; ; 11 January 1209 – 11 August 1259) was the fourth khagan-emperor of the Mongol Empire, ruling from 1 July 1251, to 11 August 1259. He was the first Khagan from the Toluid line, and made significant reform ...

conquered the Chinese southwest in the process of defeating the Song during the

Mongol invasion of China The Mongol conquest of China was a series of major military efforts by the Mongol Empire to conquer various empires ruling over China. It spanned six decades in the 13th century and involved the defeat of the Jin dynasty, Western Liao, We ...

, and the newly established

(1279–1368) saw the importation of

Chinese Muslim Islam has been practiced in China since the 7th century CE.. Muslims are a minority group in China, representing 1.6-2 percent of the total population (21,667,000- 28,210,795) according to various estimates. Though Hui Muslims are the most nume ...

administrators and settlers from Bukhara in Central Asia. It was during the following

, which was once again led by

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctiv ...

, that Guizhou was formally made a province in 1413. The Ming established many garrisons in Guizhou from which to pacify the Yao and

minorities during the

Miao Rebellions There have been several Miao rebellions in Chinese history: *Miao rebellions in the Ming dynasty (14th–15th centuries) *Bozhou rebellion (1589–1600) *Miao Rebellion (1735–36) *Miao Rebellion (1795–1806) *Miao Rebellion (1854–73) There hav ...

. Chinese-style agriculture flourished with the expertise of farmers from Sichuan,

and its surrounding provinces into Guizhou. Wu Sangui was responsible for the ousting the Ming in Guizhou and Yunnan during the

Manchu conquest of China The transition from Ming to Qing, alternatively known as Ming–Qing transition or the Manchu conquest of China, from 1618 to 1683, saw the transition between two major dynasties in Chinese history. It was a decades-long conflict between the em ...

. During the governorship-general of the Qing dynasty's nobleman Ortai, the ''tusi'' system of indirect governance of the southwest was abolished, prompting rebellions from disenfranchised chieftains and the further centralization of government. After the Second Opium War, criminal Triad (organized crime), triads set up shop in Guangxi and Guizhou to sell British opium. For a time, Taiping Rebellion, Taiping Rebels took control of Guizhou, but they were ultimately suppressed by the Qing. Concurrently, Han Chinese soldiers moved into the Taijiang region of Guizhou, married Miao women, and their children were brought up as Miao. More unsuccessful Miao rebellions occurred during the Qing, in Miao Rebellion (1735–36), 1735, from Miao Rebellion (1795–1806), 1795–1806 and from Miao Rebellion (1854–73), 1854–1873. After the overthrow of the Qing in 1911 and following

, the Chinese Communist Party, Communists took refuge in Guizhou during the

(1934–1935). While the province was formally ruled by the Warlord era, warlord Wang Jialie, the Zunyi Conference in Guizhou established

as the leader of the Communist Party. As the Second Sino-Japanese War pushed China's Nationalist Government to its southwest base of Chongqing, transportation infrastructure improved as Guizhou was linked with the Burma Road. After the end of the War, a Chinese Revolution (1949), 1949 Revolution swept Mao into power, who promoted the relocation of heavy industry into inland provinces such as Guizhou, to better protect them from Soviet Union, Soviet and American attacks. The 1957–1958 influenza pandemic, 1957 influenza pandemic started in Guizhou and killed a million people around the world. After the Chinese economic reform began in 1978, geographical factors led Guizhou to become the poorest province in China, with a GDP growth average of 9 percent from 1978 to 1993.

Geography

Guizhou is a mountainous province, although its higher altitudes are in the west and centre. It lies at the eastern end of the Yungui Plateau. At above sea level, Jiucaiping is Guizhou's highest point. Guizhou has a humid subtropical climate. There are few seasonal changes. Its annual average temperature is roughly 10 to 20 °C, with January temperatures ranging from 1 to 10 °C and July temperatures ranging from 17 to 28 °C. Like in China's other southwest provinces, rural areas of Guizhou suffered severe drought during spring 2010. One of China's poorest provinces, Guizhou is experiencing serious environmental problems, such as desertification and persistent water shortages. From 3–5 April 2010, China's Premier Wen Jiabao went on a three-day inspection tour in the southwest drought-affected province of Guizhou, where he met villagers and called on agricultural scientists to develop drought-resistant technologies for the area.

Biodiversity

The border mountains of Guizhou, Guangxi, and Hunan have been identified as one of the eight plant diversity hotspots in China. The main ecosystem types include evergreen broad-leaved forest, coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest, and montane elfin forest. Plant species endemic to this region include ''Abies ziyuanensis'', ''Cathaya argyrophylla'', and ''Keteleeria pubescens''. In broad terms, the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau is one of the vertebrate diversity hotspots of China. At the level of counties, Xingyi, Guizhou, Xingyi is one of nine Chinese vertebrate (excluding birds) diversity hotspots. Animals only known from Guizhou include Leishan moustache toad, Kuankuoshui salamander, Shuicheng salamander, Guizhou salamander, and Zhijin warty newt. Caohai Lake with its surroundings is a wetland that is an important overwintering site for many birds. It is a Protected areas of China, National Nature Reserve and an Important Bird Area identified by BirdLife International.

Politics

Administrative divisions

Guizhou is divided into nine Administrative divisions of China#Prefectural level, prefecture-level divisions: six Prefecture-level city, prefecture-level cities and three autonomous prefectures: These nine prefecture-level divisions are in turn subdivided into 88 county-level divisions (14 District of China, districts, 7 county-level cities, 55 County (People's Republic of China), counties, and 11 Autonomous counties of the People's Republic of China, autonomous counties and one District of China, special district).

Urban areas

Economy

As of the mid-19th century, Guizhou exported Mercury (element), mercury, gold, iron, lead, tobacco, incense and drugs. Its natural industry includes timber and forestry. Guizhou is also the third largest producer of tobacco in China, and home to the well-known brand Guizhou Tobacco. Other important industries in the province include energy (electricity generation) - a large portion of which is exported to Guangdong and other provinces - and mining, especially in coal, limestone, arsenic, gypsum, and oil shale. Guizhou's total output of coal was 118 million tons in 2008, a 7% growth from the previous year. Guizhou's export of power to Guangdong equaled 12% of Guangdong's total power consumption. Over the next 5 years Guizhou hopes to increase this by as much as 50%.

Transportation

In 2017, Sun Zhigang, the governor of Guizhou, announced plans to build of highways, of inland waterways, of high-speed rail lines, and 17 airports in three years, in an effort to boost tourism in the province.

Rail

Guizhou's rail network consists primarily of a cross formed by the Sichuan–Guizhou railway, Sichuan–Guizhou, Guizhou–Guangxi Railway, Guangxi–Guizhou and Shanghai–Kunming railway, Shanghai–Kunming railways, which intersect at the provincial capital, Guiyang, near the center of the province. The Liupanshui–Baiguo railway, Liupanshui–Baiguo, Pan County West Railway, Pan County West and Weishe–Hongguo railway, Weishe–Hongguo railways form a rail corridor along Guizhou's western border with

. This corridor connects the Neijiang–Kunming railway, which dips into northwestern Guizhou at Weining Yi, Hui, and Miao Autonomous County, Weining, with the Nanning–Kunming railway, which skirts the southwestern corner of Guizhou at Xingyi City, Xingyi. As of 2018, Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway, Shanghai–Kunming and Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railway, Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railways are operational. Chengdu–Guiyang high-speed railway is under construction.

Demographics

In 1832, the population was estimated at five million. Guizhou is demographically one of China's most diverse provinces. Minority groups account for more than 37% of the population and they include

(including Gha-Mu people, Gha-Mu and A-Hmao), Yao, Yi, Qiang people, Qiang, Dong people, Dong, Zhuang people, Zhuang, Bouyei, Bai people, Bai, Tujia, Gelao people, Gelao and Sui people, Sui. 55.5% of the province area is designated as autonomous regions for ethnic minorities. Guizhou is the province with the highest Total fertility rate, fertility rate in China, standing at 2.19 (urban: 1.31; rural: 2.42).

Religion

The predominant religions in Guizhou are Chinese folk religions, Taoism, Taoist traditions and Chinese Buddhism. According to surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009, 31.18% of the population believes and is involved in Chinese ancestral religion, ancestor veneration, while 0.99% of the population identifies as Christianity, Christian, decreasing from 1.13% in 2004. Anshun Wumiao 2014

The reports did not give figures for other types of religion; 67.83% of the population may be either irreligious or involved in Chinese folk religion, worship of nature deities, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Chinese salvationist religions, folk religious sects, and small minorities of Muslims. There are significant ethnic minority populations (the

and the Buyei people, Buyei) who traditionally follow their autochthonous religions.

Cuisine

Guizhou is the home of the well-known Alcoholic drinks in China, Chinese liquor Moutai, as well as Lao Gan Ma.

Tourism

The province has many covered bridges, called ''Wind and Rain Bridges''. These were built by the Dong people. The southeastern corner of the province is known for its unique Dong minority culture. Towns such as Rongjiang County, Rongjiang, Liping County, Liping, Diping and Zhaoxing are scattered amongst the hills along the border with Guangxi.

Three recommended forms

The World Bank's "Strategic Environmental Assessment Study: Tourism Development in the Province of Guizhou, China" (May 25, 2007) (needs a direct cite) points to three different forms of tourism that should be fostered and developed in Guizhou: Nature-based, heritage-based and rural. Heritage-based tourism provides ethnic minority groups with an opportunity to preserve their unique heritage while still making a living.

Colleges and universities

*Guizhou University (Guiyang) *Guizhou Normal University (Guiyang) *Guiyang Medical University (Guiyang) *Guizhou Nationalities University (Guiyang) *Guizhou Institute of Technology (Guiyang) *Zunyi Medical College (Zunyi) *Moutai University (Zunyi)

Media

*''Guizhou Daily''

Notable people

* Shi Jinmo (1881-1969), founder of medical colleges * Sun Yafang (1955-), engineer, business executive and former Chairwoman of Huawei from 1999 to 2018 * Chuan He (1972-), biologist * Huang Xiaoyun (1998-), singer and actress * Zhou Shen (1992-), singer

Notes

References

Citations

Works cited

External links

Guizhou government website

Guiyang Government website

Township level administrative map of Guizhou
{{Authority control Guizhou, Provinces of the People's Republic of China South China Western China