ZHENYUAN was founded two thousand years ago, though today's town, occupying a constricted valley 100km northeast of Kaili on the Wuyang River , sprang up in the Ming dynasty to guard the trade route through to central China. A characterful place on the Guiyang-Changsha rail line, Zhenyuan's narrow streets and tall houses pile together beside an aquamarine stretch of water, along which you can cruise west through a string of offshoot gorges - though a dam now prevents you from travelling all the way to Shibing by boat.

 

The town itself is two lengthy streets on either side of the river, crossed by several bridges. The bus station is on the north bank, over to the west, while trains pull in on the opposite side at Zhenyuan's southwestern edge. Of the accommodation , the new Zhenyuan Binguan (beds ¥30-75, doubles ¥100-150) is about 500m east of the bus station on the north side of the river; while across the river and out towards the train station, both the Lerong Binguan (beds up to ¥100) and Wuyang Binguan (doubles ¥30-75) are passable alternatives. Near the bridge close to the Zhenyuan, the Wenyuan Long restaurant is a good alternative to hotpots and noodles elsewhere.

Just east of the bus station and up a staircase to the left, Tianhou Gong (¥1) is a 400-year old Taoist complex undergoing restoration, with a balcony overhanging the street. Carry on past here and the Zhenyuan Binguan, and the street eventually crosses the river via a multiple-arch, solid stone span at least a century old leading to Qinglong Dong (¥5), a sixteenth-century temple whose separate Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian halls appear to grow out of a cliff face. The main shrine, Black Dragon Cave, is dripping wet and scattered with idols, while a mess of vines forms a curtain between the overhang and pavilions, and there are some nice views along the river of rickety sampans, children swimming and (in early June) dragon-boat rehearsals.

To organize a river cruise (¥300 per person return; 5hr), hunt down the CITS office opposite the Lerong Binguan. Moving on , there are several buses west to Shibing and east to Sanhui (for connections to Tongren), but only one service southwest to Matou (for Shidong), which passes down the station road around 9-11am - be patient. Buy train tickets from the station the day before travel if you don't want to stand; southwest are Kaili and Guiyang, while northeast is Yuping (for Tongren and Fanjiang Shan) and, over in Hunan Province, Huihua (where you change for Zhangjiajie ) and Changsha.