Discover Guiyang's cool summer sports

While many cities across China have quietly entered summer and switched on "barbecue mode" with scorching heat, Guiyang is offering a refreshing average temperature of 22.3 C, inviting visitors to instead sweat on its racecourses.

Following sports events, each one a spectacle

This summer in Guiyang is a carnival for sports fans. On June 14, the Guiyang Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Label event, will kick off with 25,000 runners. The route runs through the city's ecological green corridors, with every step falling between tree shadows and floral scents.

The 2025 Guiyang Marathon attracts many runners. [Photo/WeChat account of Shuangshuang Guiyang]

From June 15 to 21, the World Boxing League World Boxing Cup - China 2026 will be held at the Guiyang Olympic Sports Center with top boxers from 54 countries and regions, marking the first time this premier event to be held in China.

From July 2 to 6, the 2026 Guiyang Baiyun International Kite Festival and National Kite Invitational will open. This year's kite festival will run throughout the summer getaway season until the end of August. Teams from five to 10 countries and regions will compete, and the nighttime luminous kite competition will brightly decorate the summer night sky.

Drunk in scenery, singing in evening breeze

Beyond sports events, Guiyang itself is a city worth exploring at a slow pace.

Visit Qianlingshan Park to watch playful monkeys in the mountains and let the gentle breeze from Qianling Lake brush away fatigue. Head to Jiaxiu Pavilion to see this 400-year-old ancient building reflected in the Nanming River; its shimmering night view is the city's most classic silhouette. Stroll through Huaxi Park and Shilihetan, where you can wander among mountains and rivers with photogenic scenery at every turn.

A roadside concert in Guiyang. [Photo/WeChat account of Shuangshuang Guiyang]

When the evening lights up, Guiyang's true soul awakens. This "city of music" hosts roadside concerts spread along its streets, beneath its ancient city walls, in park plazas, and by flower-filled lakesides. With zero ticket fees and no formal stages, anyone can stop to listen.

Eating and drinking well is the only proof that you've truly experienced Guiyang

Start your breakfast with a bowl of red-oil spicy Changwangmian – springy alkaline noodles paired with tender blood curds, fatty pig intestines, and crispy fried pork cracklings. One bite and you're hooked.

For lunch, try a serving of Siwawa (silk doll roll). These thin rice wrappers are stuffed with more than a dozen fresh vegetables, then dipped in a sour-and-spicy soup – pure satisfaction.

Then head to Qingyun Market or Taiping Road to experience Guiyang's trendy urban rhythm with coffee, tea, and craft brews.

For dinner, you must order a bubbling pot of sour fish or sour beef hotpot. This spicy broth whets the appetite and tastes better the longer it cooks.

For late-night snacks, barbecue and laoguo (a stir-fried mix of vegetables, tofu, and meat in a flat pan) offer endless variety, best paired with an iced cili juice or a specialty craft beer – the perfect ending to a day.

This summer, Guiyang's cool breezes, music, and warm, spicy flavors all await you. Gather the people you want to see, and set off together.

Laoguo is a specialty food in Guiyang. [Photo/WeChat account of Guanshanhu district]