Liupanshui 六盘水 - The Cool Capital
Liupanshui is both a name for a city and prefecture in western Guizhou. Liupanshui is also the second largest and most developed city in Guizhou. The city itself has about 300,000 residents while the prefecture has close to 3,000,000. Liupanshui gets its name from the three main cities that combined to create the prefecture Liuzhi, Panxian and Shui Cheng. The city is known as the "cool city" or the "cool capital" because of its cool summer temperatures.
The city is divided into three main areas huang tu po, The New Development Are (开发区kai fa qu) and the dragon mountain area. Huang tu po is the oldest part of the city and because of this it is the most pedestrian friendly area. There are many great shops, restaurants and supermarkets in this area. it is also home to the LPS city government.
The new development zone has all been built in the last 10 years. It is the most developed area of the city which holds the people's square, two large parks, coffee shops, nice Chinese hotels, some department stores, the PSB office and a Wal Mart.
The Dragon Mountain area is the newest addition to LPS city. It is up on a hill that makes a pretty picturseque scenery during a sunny day. Most of the buildings in this area have been built in the last few years and much of the area is still under construction. This area is home to the LPS provencial government offices, the number three (best) middle school and is also the future home of the LPS foreign language center.
The city is divided into three main areas huang tu po, The New Development Are (开发区kai fa qu) and the dragon mountain area. Huang tu po is the oldest part of the city and because of this it is the most pedestrian friendly area. There are many great shops, restaurants and supermarkets in this area. it is also home to the LPS city government.
The new development zone has all been built in the last 10 years. It is the most developed area of the city which holds the people's square, two large parks, coffee shops, nice Chinese hotels, some department stores, the PSB office and a Wal Mart.
The Dragon Mountain area is the newest addition to LPS city. It is up on a hill that makes a pretty picturseque scenery during a sunny day. Most of the buildings in this area have been built in the last few years and much of the area is still under construction. This area is home to the LPS provencial government offices, the number three (best) middle school and is also the future home of the LPS foreign language center.
Living as a Foreigner
Although the city is the second largest in Guizhou and is also one of the main hubs of the provinces' economic development, the expat population constantly fluxuates between 5-10. Most of them work as teachers but there are a few who are studying Chinese. The city is much more of a traditional Chinese place with little exposure to foreigners. Most of the time you will be greeted on the streets with stares (of curiosity not contempt), the oft-stated "hello!"or "OOO laowai!" and great smiles from the local people. That being said the city itself boasts a small Chinese middle/upper class who have had previous experience with foreigners and some nice Chinese accommodations to take you out of the sometimes harsh conditions.
The level of English speaking in the community is very low. Liupanshui is a great place to live but if a laowai is not accustom to Chinese culture or know some basic Chinese (or is not willing to learn these things) it can be very difficult to live in this city. That being said if you do have a basic understanding of Chinese and its culture the city can be a really fulfilling place to experience.
Laowais who have lived in LIupanshui typically say the food, people and the surrounding scenery are the best aspects of the city. While the worst part of living in Liupanshui is the constant cold and wet weather during the winter, think Seattle with the lack of central heat.
The level of English speaking in the community is very low. Liupanshui is a great place to live but if a laowai is not accustom to Chinese culture or know some basic Chinese (or is not willing to learn these things) it can be very difficult to live in this city. That being said if you do have a basic understanding of Chinese and its culture the city can be a really fulfilling place to experience.
Laowais who have lived in LIupanshui typically say the food, people and the surrounding scenery are the best aspects of the city. While the worst part of living in Liupanshui is the constant cold and wet weather during the winter, think Seattle with the lack of central heat.
Getting in / OutTrain
Liupanshui's train station is one of the main train hubs in Guizhou. Liupanshui has trains that go all the way to Kunming in the west, Guiyang to the east, and Chengdu to the north. To buy train tickets you must buy them in person at the train station or in one of the small ticket booths located around the city within 10 days prior to your departure. Liupanshui to Guiyang / Guiyang to Liupanshui Guiyang is the closest large city with a size-able foreign population and some international goods. At all times there is the ability to catch a train to Guiyang or Liupanshui as there are 30 trains that travel to Guiyang and about the same that come back to Liupanshui daily. There are three different types of trains that travel between the cities. All of the trains have AC. Two types of the trains take 3 hours and 45 minutes (any train with a K) and then there are three trains that take 2 hours and 45 minutes (any train with a T) The two types of K trains are priced at 23 yuan ($4) and 43 yuan ($8) oneway. If on a budget I recommend the 23 yuan train because the 43 yuan trains don't arrive any faster nor do they provide any extra comfort. Both of these trains have hard seats (benches) that face each other. If you happen to go on a weekend or holiday these will be very full with a strong likelihood that you will be crammed or standing the entire train ride. If this happens try to find the dining room car which usually resides in the middle of the train between the sleeper section and the hard seats. While there order one dish and enjoy the comfort while you eat your meal over 4 hours. Also if you have the cash sleepers are available on these trains. The T trains were just added in October of 2010. They are second had fast trains taken from the east of China and are quite nice. Most seats are bucket type, have ample leg room and face forward like a standard western train. These trains also usually are less full, quieter and they are smoke free. The tickets cost 64 yuan ($11) for a regular seat and 77 yuan ($13) for a "VIP" seat. The VIP seats aren't worth the extra money. Full Schedule of trains from LPS to Guiyang Full Schedule of trains from Guiyang to LPS Liupanshui to Kunming / Kunming to Liupanshui Kunming is the closest city with a McDonalds. It is also a foreign backpacker mecca, a hub for many national natural wonders and just a wonderful city all the way around. It takes between 6 hours and 30 minutes to 9 hours to arrive in Kunming. If you wish to get to Kunming I recommend the T60 overnight train with a top sleeper bed. Liupanshui to Kunming Schedule Kunming to Liupanshui Schedule Liupanshui to Chengdu / Chengdu to Liupanshui Chengdu is metropolitan city of 10,000,000 people 12-15 hours north of Liupanshui. It is home of the American consulate for Southwest China. There are 7 trains daily to Chengdu. Liupanshui to Chengdu Schedule Chengdu to Liupanshui Schedule Liupanshui is also the best place to stay overnight on your way to CaoHai lake in WeiNing. There are a few trains a day that go to Weining, with a ticket only costing 10 yuan and a total travel time of 1 and a half hours. Bus station 客车站 The Liupanshui bus station is a 10 minute walk from the train station has buses running all day to many different cities in Guizhou and beyond. Most often the buses will be more expensive than the train but the station is also less crowded, and easier to get a ticket. Because of Guizhou's rough terrian bus rides are quite the adventure and they also take close to as long or longer than taking a train. That being said buses serve many smaller communities that train stations don't go to such as Bijie and Xingyi. | Getting AroundThe city of LIupanshui lies in a valley which makes it very narrow, this makes getting lost in Liupanshui very difficult. The main road that goes throughout the city and were most of the important businesses, residential areas and places to see reside is Zhong Shan Da Dao (钟山大道). Zhong Shan da dao is a long, wide two way road,
Public Transportation The only method of public transportation is bus. There are about 10 bus lines that go throughout the city. Buses start running at 7am and close at 9pm (although some of the smaller lines open later and close earlier). Every bus is 1 yuan/person. The 1 line is the most important bus route as it goes the entire length of Zhong Shan in both directions. The city is currently revamping their bus fleet and stops, more detailed information about buses will come soon. Taxi- Taxis are ubquitious throughout the city. Most of the time they are very easy to hail and very cheap to use. The meter starts at 5 yuan (about $.75) for the first two km. Make sure to tell the taxi driver that you want a metered taxi (da biao!) and you should rarely ever have a ride that is more than 15 yuan ($2.50). Taxis can be difficult to get during rush hour and at the train station. Especially at midnight at the trainstation it is almost impossible to get a taxi by yourself and metered. If this is the case you should never pay over 15 yuan to get to your destination and 10 yuan is a good price. Also, especially late at night it is common for taxi drivers to pick up other passengers, this is ok, you will not be charged more for this. Although rare, if you get in a situation where the taxi driver wants to overcharge you, ask him for a receipt (Da piao), if he won't give it to you tell him you will call the police as it is in their licence agreement that they must be able to give you a recepit for the taxi ride. There are also three wheel taxis that can slowly take you anywhere. Only take these if you are having trouble finding a regular taxi. These vehicals have no meter but you should never pay over 10 yuan for a ride. They are also very small and dangerious so take them at your peril "Black Taxis" are unmarked and illegal taxis. Sometimes they can work out fine sometimes not. Take them at your own risk. |
ShoppingLiupanshui has many supermarkets as well as outdoor markets. The big two supermarket chains in Liupanshui are WalMart (1 location) and Jiahui (3 locations). Both of these supermarkets have about the same amount of goods at close to the same prices (although I have found things to be a little cheaper at Jiahui). Other small supermarkets also exist.
WalMart is located in Kai Fa Qu right across the street from Ren Min Guang Chang on the third floor of the Sun Center building. WalMart has the largest selection of International goods in Liupanshui but that is not saying much. Currently it has two small shelves full of mostly Japanese and Korean snacks. But some western food is also available such as pasta, pasta sauce, some cereals and other random western sauces. The international goods that come in are not always in stock and what WalMart carries fluctuates in random ways. WalMart is also your best bet to find foreign alcohols. They have a decent selection of International Vodka, whiskey and red wine. Other locations have it but they are most likely counterfiet. If you want good bread go to the yi xing long da chao shi (一兴隆大超市) in Hong tu po. The supermarket is across the street from Dicos and has a large blue sign at its entrance. At the bottom floor the bread section has the normal strange looking sweet breads but on the top shelf they have buns. Yi xing supermarket produced these buns for the Dicos across the street and they taste just like a bun one would find in America. Clothes Like most Chinese cities along the streets of LPS is one clothing store after another. On Zhong Shan road in the new development zone there are a few Nike, Addidas stores as well as some higher end clothing shops. The Huang tu po area has two main locations where you can buy very cheap knock off goods. One is located on the corner across the street from the KFC, the other is situated under the sports stadium. |
MedicalLiupanshui city is the major medical care center for the region. The best hospital is Liupanshui People's Hospital (六盘水人民医院). The hospital is old and does not meet the standards set by the American consulate to have any work done other than the most basic services. There are no English speaking doctors. That being said in June 2011 the new hospital will open with much better facilities.
The closest English speaking doctors are in Guiyang at the Guiyang Medical School hospital. The closest hospital recommended by the American consulate is in Kunming. Information for English Speaking Doctors in Guiyang Where to Work Liupanshui currently has three schools with foreign teachers. The current job openings include: http://www.esljobs.com/china/esl-teachers-needed-in-liupanshui-city-guizhou-province-china-asap/ Teach young learners or adults in LPS Where to StudyThere is an intensive Chinese language program at Liupanshui Normal University. The program offers one on one instruction with great mandarin speakers in a classroom setting. Currently there are two students enrolled. What/Where to Eat Where to drink Coffee/Tea Over the past two years Liupanshui has had a renaissance of coffee and tea shops. Growing seemingly as fast as its middle class every new area has many coffee and tea houses. Once nice thing about Liupanshui coffee bars is that there are no chain coffee places, all of the shops are locally owned, which brings friendly service and a relaxing atmosphere. The only down side to that is especially for coffee some shops have very inexperienced with the drink making process itself. The following are the four best coffee/tea shops in town. Wayne (Wizard of Oz) and Tims (TT) - Although not the official names, the local laowai know the first two coffee shops by the first name of the owners. Wayne and Tim are cousins, they are incredibly friendly and both speak English well. The coffee shops are located right next to each other, on the small street next to the Dico's fast food restaurant near the People's Square. They both offer a relaxing homey atmosphere and have wonderful drinks. The main difference between the two shops are although they both serve alcohol, Wayne's only serves cocktails and wine as Tims offers a selection of beers to go along with your coffee. Cool Choose - Despite the funny name, Cool Choose is the closest thing Liupanshui has to a Starbucks / American coffee house feel. Cool Choose is north of the people's square, across the street from the Vito Hotel / China Telecom building. Not only does Cool Choose have great coffee and tea but it is also home to the only Cheese Cake in town. Detail Coffee - Located on the second floor of the cool city palace, Detail coffee has a very friendly staff, an elegant, urban atmosphere and a great view of the people's square. Bars Clubs - Liupanshui is home to two night clubs jiahui and guohui. They are both located near the People's Square. Both offer dancing to blaringly loud, techo remixes of old American pop/hip-hop songs. The nightlife also ends early. Most nights the club will be cleared by midnight - one o'clock. That does not mean they are not fun but one must arrive early. |