A performer wears a mask in a local opera. Xu Daling / Provided by Traveler Magazine

Guizhou

Libo offers a fresh break

Everything in Libo appears green, from the karst hills to the Shuichun River that passes the town, wild herbs on rural market, and the long gown of women from Shui ethnic group.

And there seems to be a seamless link between life and nature in the micro-town with a population of 20,000 people. The city itself preserves habits from rural lifestyles, and if you walk a little longer, you will reach the countryside.

During hot days, the Shuichun River becomes an open-air bath, where one will see naked rural kids and fashionable bikini girls.

Libo provides the simplest yet richest vacation. For a good workout, there are several wonderful hiking routes within the Maolan Karst Protection Zone. To feel the cultural heartbeat, watch traditional performances by Bouyei ethnic group at Yaogu Village or visit villages of Yao people - an ethnic group known for their signature white trousers and who still preserves matrilineal tradition - for their bronze-drum dance.

Adapted from an original story which first appeared in Traveler magazine.

China Daily

(China Daily 10/03/2012 page10)