Editor's Note: On November 11, the International Conference of Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports (MTOS) 2025 commenced in Guiyang City, Guizhou Province. With the continued theme "Integration of Culture, Tourism and Sports Presents a High Quality Life," this year's Conference featured a series of events including the International Mountain Tourism Alliance (IMTA) Annual Conference 2025, the International Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference 2025, a Field Trip to Guizhou Mountain Tourism Destinations, and the Bank of Guizhou·Mountain Culture, Tourism and Outdoor Sport Equipment Exhibition. Over 350 participants gathered, including representatives from international organizations, government and tourism departments of relevant countries, diplomatic missions in China, tourism-related enterprises, mountain tourism destination management agencies, experts, scholars, and media from more than 30 countries and regions. They explored new pathways for the integrated development of "Mountain Tourism +", shared new achievements in mountain tourism development, and worked together to build a prosperous new future for mountain tourism. Yang Xiangdong, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group and Director-General of the Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, made a presentation at the 2025 International Mountain Tourism Promotion Conference.
The following is the full text of the presentation:
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, friends, good morning!
Our mountains greet guests with open arms, and our pristine waters sing welcoming melodies. Today, it brings me great joy to gather with you in Guiyang, the provincial capital of Guizhou Province and a "Mountain Park", where we shall chart a new vision for mountain tourism and pioneer a new era for outdoor sports. On behalf of the Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, I would like to extend my heartfelt welcome to all guests and friends who have traveled from afar! I also express my deepest gratitude to our international and domestic partners who have consistently cared for and supported Guizhou's cultural tourism development.
Guizhou is a paradise cradled by nature's grandeur in southwestern China. Its dramatic topography is shaped by hilly and mountainous areas covering 92.5% of the land, while 1.258 million peaks compose its majestic landscape. Guizhou's verdant mountains, rich cultural heritage, vibrant energy, and wellness retreats earn its title as the "Province of Parks" by President Xi Jinping. Now, Guizhou unveils to the world a poetic and dreamlike scroll of natural and cultural wonders—where primal landscapes meet modern vitality, mystic traditions embrace open-mindedness, and diverse charm blends with individual character.
Guizhou's Mountain Scenery | Source: Qianxinan Culture and Tourism
Peaks converge like mountainous spines, inviting you to witness nature's grandeur and sublime beauty.
Guizhou's mountains possess distinctive grace. Mount Fanjing, the main peak of the Wuling Mountains, pierces the heavens with its jagged majesty—a symbol of ecological sanctuary and spiritual solace. The undulating Wumeng Mountains whisper tales of heroic verse, where "colossal peaks stride like rolling clay marbles". The mighty Miao Ridge spans the southeast as the continental divide between the Yangtze and Pearl River basins, cradling countless lifeforms. Dalou Mountains' fortress-like passes, cloaked in emerald peaks, tell history's dramatic transformations. Wang Yangming, a well-known philosopher in the Ming Dynasty, marveled, "All under heaven's finest landscapes converge in Guizhou." This is a truth that still resonates.
Miaoling, Guizhou | Photo by: Yuan Jiali
Guizhou's waters dance with liquid vitality. The meandering Chishui River murmurs tales of military marvels and winemaking legends. The emerald Wujiang River surges like a flowing natural gallery. The torrential Beipan River carries the ancient tale of Yelang. The crystal-clear Qingshui River embodies the poetic tranquility of "moonlight dancing on placid waters". Here stands Huangguoshu Waterfall, crowned as "Asia's First Waterfall", where thunderous waters plunge with mile-echoing grandeur. The Zhangjiang River in Libo County, an "Earth's Emerald", shimmers with celestial reflections. The Maling River Canyon's waterfall-laden cliffs earn their fame as "Earth's Most Beautiful Scar".
Shuanghe Cave, Suiyang | Source: Guizhou Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism
Guizhou's caves are realms of mystic splendor. As the "Kingdom of Sedimentary Rocks", "Kingdom of Karst Landforms", and "Kingdom of Paleontology", Guizhou is home to many subterranean wonders. Zhijin Cave, "King of China's Karst Caves", stuns with large chambers and surreal formations, living up to its reputation, "The landscape of Mount Huangshan belittles that of the Five Great Mountains; no cave astonishes visitors beyond Zhijin Cave." The Suiyang Shuanghe Cave, "China's Gateway to the Earth's Core", boasts Asia's longest explored length, attracting adventurers into the planet's depths. Layered rocks, deep caves, and mysterious fossils silently chronicle the geological conditions of hundreds of millions of years of earth's transformation.
The cultural heritage in Guizhou nourishes this fertile land of humanities, inviting you to a vibrant feast of cultural exchanges.
Guizhou's mountains and rivers have not only shaped its terrain but also forged profound cultural DNA and given rise to its rich cultural diversity. Guizhou is a heroic land that carries forward the revolutionary culture. The Red Army's Long March wrote the glorious chapter of "Great Turning Point" in Guizhou. The Zunyi Meeting saved the revolution at its darkest hour. The triumphant horns of Loushan Pass still echo. The legendary four crossings of the Chishui River remain celebrated. Today, through the "Red Ribbon" project blending culture with technology and the "Great Turning Point" performance, we offer immersive experiences of this epic journey and enable spiritual dialogue across time.
Red Ribbon (Project) | Source: Publicity Department of Guizhou Provincial Party Committee
Guizhou is fertile intellectual ground illuminated by the wisdom of the School of Mind. Five centuries ago, philosopher Wang Yangming attained enlightenment in Longchang Town, Xiuwen County of Guiyang, establishing the Wang Yangming's School of Mind with its core principle of "unity of knowledge and action". The brilliance of his philosophy transcends time and space, illuminating the world. Historic sites like Yangming Cave and Wanyiwo continue to demonstrate how Guizhou's landscape uniquely nurtured ancient sages' enlightenment. Guizhou is a cultural haven where the wisdom of ethnic groups converges. The Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group, a conductor-less and accompaniment-free polyphonic harmony, is praised as "music sparkling like a mountain spring". The "Eight-Note Seated Singing" of the Bouyei ethnic group resonates with ancient melodies, hailed as "earthly music of divine quality". Exquisite ethnic crafts like Miao embroidery, batik, and silver ornaments embody the aesthetics and wisdom of ancient civilizations. Guizhou is a land where historical memories are preserved. The policies of "Military Expedition from the North to the South" and "Population Transfer from the North to Fill the South" adopted in the Ming Dynasty left behind the "living fossil" of Tunbao culture in Guizhou. The 600-year-old traditions of the Jianghuai region remain vividly preserved in Guizhou, creating a time-travel experience where "Tourists visit Guizhou to learn about the Ming Dynasty."
Vibrant energy fuels sporting passion, inviting you to compose an active symphony in this outdoor paradise.
With its unique karst landforms and ideal altitude climate, Guizhou has rightfully earned its titles as an "outdoor sports paradise" and a pioneer in establishing a "national sports tourism demonstration zone". Boasting over 330 days of outdoor sports-friendly weather annually, this land pulses with vitality and sporting enthusiasm year-round. Guizhou is the arena where human limits meet their match. Nearly half of the world's top 100 highest bridges were built in Guizhou, earning the province a reputation as the "World's Bridge Museum".
Maling River Bridge, Guizhou | Source: Publicity Department of Guizhou Provincial Party Committee
We are pioneering an innovative "bridge tourism" concept: The Huajiang Canyon Bridge, a record-breaking project of bridge tourism and unparalleled in every dimension, features dedicated spaces for top-tier events like low-altitude parachuting and wingsuit flying. Balinghe Bridge brings high-altitude bungee jumping and bridge walks to life, and the "Sky Bridge" Pingtang Grand Bridge blends astronomical observation with transportation infrastructure. World-renowned events like the Ziyun Getu River Rock Climbing Festival, "Soaring Guizhou" International Paragliding Championship, and Qinglong "24 Turns" Car Rally offer global sports enthusiasts premier platforms to push their limits and chase dreams.
Cave Exploration | Source: Wild Planet Adventure
Guizhou is a hub for experiencing cutting-edge fashion trends. "Village Super League" and "Village Basketball Association" have attracted much public attention through authentic rural charm and pure sporting joy, showcasing the extraordinary fusion of athletics and ethnic culture. Guiyang's open-access "Roadside Concerts" bring art to the street corners. Innovative experiences like cliffside cafés, cave concerts, and scenic metaverse attractions are gaining much attention, infusing traditional landscapes with contemporary energy. Our premium sports tourism routes—featuring cave expeditions, forest adventures, mountain biking, and aquatic sports—fulfill every outdoor enthusiast's fantasy.
Find your poetic escape amidst the landscape, where you can indulge in the serene leisure of resorts.
Guizhou serves as both a playground for adventurers and a sanctuary for leisure wellness. Guizhou has an average altitude of 1,100 meters, summer temperatures averaging 23°C, forest coverage exceeding 63%, and a proportion of days with good air quality in central urban areas over 98% of the year. It truly lives up to its reputation as a "natural air conditioner" and "green oxygen bar". Guizhou is the perfect summer resort destination. Guiyang and Liupanshui rank among "China's Top 10 Summer Resort Cities". Moreover, Bijie, Anshun, Qiannan Bouyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, and Qianxinan Bouyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture are well-known summer resort destinations. With about three-quarters of its area being ideal summer retreats, Guizhou offers a place of cool tranquility during the scorching heat. Guizhou is a wellness sanctuary for hot spring therapy.
Qianxinan Prefecture, Guizhou | Source: Xingyi Tourism
Hot spring resources are found in most of Guizhou's 88 counties (cities and districts), with 303 scattered geothermal springs. The mineral-rich waters contain beneficial trace elements like selenium, strontium, and lithium, meeting standards for drinkable mineral water. Xifeng, Shiqian, and Jianhe hot springs offer perfect therapeutic escapes to rejuvenate body and mind, earning Guizhou the title of the "Province of Hot Springs". Guizhou is a picturesque haven for poetic living. Seven hundred and fifty-seven traditional Chinese villages dot the landscape like pearls amidst emerald mountains and crystal-clear waters, boasting the highest count nationwide. Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village (the world's largest Miao settlement), the renowned Zhaoxing Dong Village, and beautiful villages like Huamao, Huawuji, and Yunshe, offer postcard-perfect scenery brimming with nostalgic charm. Notably, the distinctive boutique homestays nestled around mountains and rivers offer serene retreats perfect for poetic living.
Zhaoxing Dong Village | Source: Baotu.com
Dear guests and friends, President Xi Jinping has shown great interest and strong confidence in Guizhou's tourism development. During his visit to Guizhou in March, he emphasized "deepening the integration of culture, tourism, and sports, diversifying tourism offerings, and establishing 'Colorful Guizhou' as a new cultural tourism brand". His directives have charted the course for our journey ahead. The Opinions on Supporting Guizhou in Forging a New Path in the Development of the Western Region in the New Era explicitly endorses Guizhou's ambition to become "a world-class mountain tourism destination", providing robust policy backing for this vision.
Currently, under the strong leadership of the CPC Guizhou Provincial Committee and Guizhou Provincial People's Government, the cultural and tourism industries in Guizhou prioritize high-quality development, focusing on three key elements (resources, tourist sources, and services) and advancing the "Four Major Initiatives" for tourism industrialization to establish a world-class tourist destination. In 2023, Guizhou's tourism industry became the first in China to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, marking a historic shift from recovery in scale to growth in both quantity and quality. In 2024, tourist arrivals and total tourism revenue in Guizhou surged by 25.8% and 35.1% respectively compared to 2019, with tourism's added value rising to 5.6% of GDP—further solidifying its role as a pillar industry. Tourist spending per capita rose significantly, with the proportion of overnight and out-of-province tourists increasing to 25.7% and 25.4% respectively. Inbound tourism grew nearly 12-fold since 2020, showing an expanding global influence.
Pedestrian Flow on Guiyang Streets | Photo by: Wang Xiao
Dear guests and friends, Guizhou, the "Mountain Park", offers boundless wonders. The fascinating landscapes await your visit. Today's Guizhou is a place where opportunities converge, wonders unfold, and dreams take flight. We cordially invite you to explore Guizhou—witness its majestic mountain landscapes, immerse yourself in thrilling outdoor sports, understand the diversity and profound essence of its culture, indulge in relaxing wellness retreats, and embrace boundless opportunities in mountain tourism development.
Finally, I sincerely wish this conference complete success! I also wish you a successful, healthy, and fruitful stay in Guizhou. Thank you!
Image and text source: IMTA
Editor Ⅰ: Zhang Wenwen
Editor Ⅱ: Bao Gang
Editor Ⅲ: Liu Guosong
