Experience the best of Kaili

Kaili is the seat of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, in the east of Guizhou province, on the edge of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau among steep, terraced hills and rivers. The Miao are a large part of its population, and Kaili is a centre of Miao culture, nicknamed the Town of a Hundred Festivals for the gatherings held through the year.

Miao villages in the hills nearby, among them Xijiang, a large village of wooden houses on stilts climbing a steep valley, are the best-known. The town is known for embroidery, batik, brocade and silver jewellery, and the Miao New Year and the Climbing Festival are among the main celebrations.

Kaili's most famous dish is red sour soup, a fish hot pot in a tangy broth fermented from tomatoes and chillies, and sour and spicy flavours run through the cooking of Guizhou. Sticky rice and home-brewed rice wine come with festival meals. The climate is mild and humid, with rain through much of the year.