Liupanshui Culture

Liupanshui City (六盘水市) is best known as the “Cool City of China,” but its cultural identity extends far beyond its summer climate. The city contains important Paleolithic sites, memories of the ancient Yelang cultural region, historic post roads, multiethnic villages, revolutionary landmarks and one of China’s most complete collections of Third Front industrial heritage.

The modern city was formed from Liuzhi, Panxian and Shuicheng, whose names provided the three characters in “Liupanshui.” Today, its historical and cultural resources are distributed across Zhongshan District (钟山区), Liuzhi Special District (六枝特区), Panzhou City (盘州市) and Shuicheng District (水城区). Each area presents a different cultural theme: Zhongshan explains the rise of the modern industrial city, Liuzhi preserves Long-Horn Miao and ancient village culture, Panzhou combines prehistoric archaeology with Yi and Bouyei traditions, while Shuicheng is known for Yi culture, Bouyei villages and Third Front history.

Historical Development of Liupanshui

Prehistoric Human Activity

Liupanshui is one of the most important regions for studying prehistoric human activity in southwestern China. Archaeological discoveries include Panxian Dadong Cave (盘县大洞遗址), Shuicheng Xiaohuidong Cave (水城硝灰洞遗址) and Taohua Cave (桃花洞遗址) in Liuzhi.

Panxian Dadong is the most significant of these sites. Archaeological layers, stone tools, animal fossils and human teeth date broadly to the Middle Pleistocene, with commonly cited estimates ranging from approximately 130,000 to 300,000 years ago. The discovery was selected as one of China’s Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries for 1993 and is now protected as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit. Archaeological research remains ongoing, so the site is more important as a protected scientific resource than as a conventional sightseeing attraction.

Taohua Cave in central Liuzhi preserves evidence of Late Paleolithic human activity. Together, the prehistoric caves of Panzhou, Shuicheng and Liuzhi demonstrate that the mountain valleys and karst caves of present-day Liupanshui supported human communities over an exceptionally long period.

Yelang Culture and Imperial Administration

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, areas around present-day Liupanshui were associated with the ancient political and cultural worlds of Zangke (牂牁) and Yelang (夜郎). After the Qin and Han dynasties expanded administrative control into southwestern China, the region gradually became connected with the imperial prefecture and county system.

During later centuries, the territory was divided among different local governments and hereditary chiefly domains. Parts of modern Panzhou, Liuzhi and Shuicheng were historically administered through political centres associated with Yunnan, Sichuan, Huguang and Guizhou. Qing-period administrative reforms gradually replaced hereditary native administration and helped establish the territorial foundations of Panxian, Langdai and Shuicheng.

Revolutionary History

Liupanshui contains several sites related to the Long March and revolutionary activity in western Guizhou. The best known is the Panxian Conference Site (盘县会议会址), also called the Nine-Room Building (九间楼). In 1936, leaders of the Red Second and Sixth Army Corps held an important meeting here that influenced their subsequent movement northward.

Other revolutionary resources are distributed along former transport routes, mountain passes and settlements in Panzhou and Liuzhi. These places are generally incorporated into educational and historical tours rather than visited as isolated monuments.

The Third Front and the Birth of Modern Liupanshui

The defining chapter of modern Liupanshui began during China’s Third Front Construction campaign. In the mid-1960s, major coal, steel, railway and energy projects were established in Liuzhi, Panxian and Shuicheng. Three special districts were created in 1966 to support industrial development, and Liupanshui was formally established as a prefecture-level city in 1978.

Workers, engineers and families arrived from different parts of China, creating new mining settlements, factories, railway communities, schools and hospitals. This period transformed a predominantly rural mountain region into one of southwestern China’s major energy and raw-material industrial bases.

The Guizhou Third Front Construction Museum (贵州三线建设博物馆) in Shuicheng Ancient Town is the principal place for understanding this history. It is described by local authorities as China’s first museum devoted specifically to Third Front culture and displays industrial machinery, work permits, letters, household objects, historical photographs and reconstructed living environments.

Liupanshui is a multi-ethnic prefecture-level city in the west of Guizhou Province. There are many ethnic minorities in Liupanshui, and in the long course of history, these ethnic minority people live in harmony with nature, create and inherit the excellent intangible culture, which forms unique ethnic customs.

Ethnic Groups

There are a total of 44 minorities in Liupanshui city, among which the Yi, Miao, Bouyei, Bai, Hui and Gelao are indigenous peoples living in Liupanshui. The minorities with a population of over ten thousand include Yi, Miao, Bai, Buyi, Hui, Gelao and Shui 7 ethnic groups. 

Ethnic Townships

Traditional Chinese Villages in Liupanshui

• Changtian Village in Changwan Village of Luobie Township, Liuzhi Special District, Liupanshui City六盘水市六枝特区落别乡长湾村长田组
• Gaoxing Village in Suoga Miao, Yi and Hui Ethnic Township of Liuzhi Special District, Liupanshui City六盘水市六枝特区梭戛苗族彝族回族乡高兴村
• Lujiazhai Village in Baoji Miao and Yi Ethnic Township of Panzhou City, Liupanshui六盘水市盘县保基苗族彝族乡陆家寨村
• Emaozhai Village in Baotian Town of Panzhou City, Liupanshui City六盘水市盘县保田镇鹅毛寨村
• Shuitang Village in Danxia Town of Panzhou City, Liupanshui City六盘水市盘县丹霞镇水塘村
• Lemin Village in Shiqiao Town of Panzhou City, Liupanshui City六盘水市盘县石桥镇乐民村
• Tuoyue Village in Shiqiao Town of Panzhou City, Liupanshui City六盘水市盘县石桥镇妥乐村
• Dazhong Village in Yangchang Buyi, Bai and Miao Ethnic Township of Panzhou City, Liupanshui City六盘水市盘县羊场布依族白族苗族乡大中村
• Tianmen Village in Huajia Miao, Buyi and Buyi Ethnic Township of Shuicheng County, Liupanshui City六盘水市水城县花戛苗族布依族彝族乡天门村

China Traditional Villages in Liupanshui City and China Traditional Villages in Guizhou Province

Inheritors of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Liupanshui

More Inheritors of National Intangible Heritages in Guizhou Province.

Folk Dances

Liupanshui folk dances are widely distributed and have various styles. From the role and purpose of dance, it is mostly life dance, which is a dance activity for the needs of life carried out by various ethnic groups. It usually includes custom dance, religious and sacrifice dance, social dance, entertainment dancing, sports dance and so on.

• Custom Dance: The representative custom dances include Lusheng dance of Miao, Suona and flower drum dance and torch dance of Yi, bronze drum dance, Sama dance(撒麻舞) and rice transplanting dance, as well as money stick dance, fire dragon dance, lion dance, rowing land boat, lantern dance and so on.
• Religious and Sacrificial Dance: It is a ceremonial dance form. The representative dances include Lusheng sacrificial dance of Miao, Suona and flower drum dance, Tiaojiao dance, Haima dance, Bibo dance and bench dragon dance of Yi, sacrificial dance of Gelao, leather drum dance, Zhuangchang dance and Shidao dance of Han, etc. And other dances include Nuo/Di opera dance, Nuomian dance, God dance, Mila dance and the like.
• Social Dance: Within the Liupanshui city, the representative social dances include Dati dance(搭体舞) and bell dance of Yi, Lusheng group dancing of Miao, bamboo tube dance of Buyi, etc.
• Sports Dance: Flower stick dance(花棍舞) of Siyin Miao(四印苗) is highly ornamental and is the representative of folk sports dance in Liupanshui.

Intangible Cultural Heritage

Liupanshui has established national, provincial, municipal and county-level intangible-cultural-heritage systems. The municipal government currently identifies five representative national-level projects connected with the city.

Other locally protected traditions include Yi narrative songs based on the traditional solar calendar, leaf-blowing music, black-pottery production, Bouyei weaving, Miao embroidery, dough modelling, local opera, food preparation and ethnic medical practices. The exact number of listed projects continues to change as new municipal and provincial batches are announced.

Suoga Long-Horn Miao Culture

The most distinctive Miao cultural area is Suoga Miao, Yi and Hui Ethnic Township (梭戛苗族彝族回族乡) in Liuzhi. Local women traditionally create large ceremonial hairstyles supported by horn-shaped wooden structures and decorated with linen, wool and ancestral hair. Hand-spinning, weaving, wax-resist dyeing and embroidery form an interconnected costume tradition rather than separate decorative crafts.

The Suoga Miao Ecological Museum (梭戛苗族生态博物馆) opened in 1998 as a China–Norway cultural cooperation project. It is widely recognized as China’s first ethnic cultural eco-museum. Rather than limiting heritage to objects inside one building, the museum concept incorporates twelve surrounding Long-Horn Miao communities, their architecture, landscape, social customs and everyday production.

Yi Culture

Yi communities are concentrated in Panzhou and Shuicheng. Their cultural traditions include folk songs, oral history, embroidery, traditional calendars, fire worship, wrestling, dance and the Torch Festival.

The Haiping Yi Cultural Town (海坪彝族文化小镇) in Shuicheng interprets Yi migration traditions, the historical narrative of the Six Ancestors, traditional architectural forms and festival culture. Its cultural facilities include a solar-calendar square, museums, performance spaces and a large Torch Festival venue.

The summer Torch Festival has developed into a broader festival season around Yeyuhai National Tourism Resort (野玉海国家级旅游度假区), although ritual fire ceremonies and community customs remain the cultural foundation of the public program.

Bouyei Culture

Bouyei settlements are found along the Beipan River and in parts of Liuzhi, Shuicheng and Panzhou. Cultural features include stilted wooden houses, Pan Songs, copper drums, weaving, embroidery, suona music and festivals connected with rice farming.

Tianmen Village (天门村) in Shuicheng is one of the best-preserved Bouyei settlements in Liupanshui. The village has more than 600 years of history and retains 178 wood-and-tile buildings, together with embroidery, weaving, cattle farming and other traditional practices.

Bai, Hui, Gelao and Other Communities

Panzhou also contains long-established Bai communities whose festivals include fire ceremonies, village music and communal dance. Hui culture is represented through mosques, halal food and historic trading communities, while Gelao, Shui and other groups contribute additional foodways, oral traditions and seasonal customs.

Liupanshui’s ethnic culture should therefore not be presented as a single uniform tradition. Clothing, dialect, ritual and music can differ significantly even between neighbouring villages.

Chinese Traditional Villages in Liupanshui

As of 2025, 11 villages in Liupanshui had been included in China’s national Traditional Villages List. Five entered the third batch, four the fourth batch, one the fifth batch and one the sixth batch.

These villages are inhabited communities rather than open-air museums. Some have limited visitor infrastructure, and access to ancestral halls, houses, ritual spaces and workshops depends on local permission.

Major Historical and Cultural Sites

The city’s cultural-tourism plan also prioritizes conservation of Panxian Dadong, revolutionary buildings, historic residences, ancient post roads and Third Front industrial remains.

History and Culture Tours with Yaso Trip

Prehistory and Third Front Heritage Tour

Liupanshui – Shuicheng Ancient Town – Guizhou Third Front Construction Museum – Panzhou – Panxian Conference Site – 671 Third Front Cultural Park

Allow three to four days. This journey explains how Liupanshui developed from a prehistoric settlement region into a major twentieth-century industrial city. Panxian Dadong may be included as an archaeological-study topic, but physical access must be confirmed because research and heritage protection take priority.

Long-Horn Miao and Traditional Village Tour

Liuzhi – Suoga Ecological Museum – Gaoxing Village – Changwan Village – Kebu Village

Allow two to three days. The tour can include an introduction to eco-museum conservation, weaving and dyeing, traditional costume interpretation and village architecture. Cultural demonstrations should be arranged with local communities rather than expected as daily commercial performances.

Yi Culture and Industrial Memory Tour

Liupanshui – Yeyuhai – Haiping Yi Cultural Town – Panzhou

Allow three to four days. The program connects Yi history, embroidery, music, farmer painting and fire traditions with the industrial and railway history of Panzhou. During the Torch Festival season, confirmed ceremonies and public activities can be incorporated.

Bouyei Villages and Beipan River Culture Tour

Liupanshui – Tianmen Village – Liuzhi – Zangke River Region

Allow two to three days. Tianmen is the cultural centrepiece, with stilted houses, weaving, embroidery and traditional agriculture. Road conditions and travel times should be checked because several villages remain remote.

Autumn Traditional Village Tour

Liupanshui – Tuole Village – Lemin Village – Shuitang Village – Panzhou

October and November are especially suitable for exploring Panzhou’s traditional villages. Tuole’s ancient ginkgo trees normally turn yellow during autumn, while surrounding villages provide quieter architecture and community-based experiences.

Practical Cultural Travel Advice

Use the right season for the chosen theme. Summer from June to September combines Liupanshui’s cool climate with Yi, Miao and Bouyei cultural events. Autumn is best for Tuole’s ginkgo landscape and traditional-village photography. Liupanshui’s summer average temperature is commonly reported at approximately 19.7°C, although rain and cool evenings remain possible.

Confirm festival dates. The Torch Festival, Miao Flower-Jumping Festival and Bouyei June Sixth follow lunar or village calendars. The dates and public programs vary each year.

Arrange transport in advance. High-speed rail is convenient for reaching Liupanshui and Panzhou, but many archaeological sites, ethnic communities and traditional villages require a private vehicle.

Respect living heritage. Ask before photographing residents, ceremonial clothing, household interiors or religious activities. Do not move tools, textiles, old manuscripts or architectural components for photography.

Purchase crafts directly from makers. Locally made embroidery, wax-resist textiles, woven cloth, pottery and farmer paintings provide more meaningful souvenirs than standardized goods. Ask about the maker, material and production process.

A Liupanshui History and Culture Tour with Yaso Trip can combine specialist interpretation, private transportation, museum visits, traditional-village walks and prearranged meetings with local craftspeople. The city’s deepest cultural story lies in the relationship between prehistoric caves, ancient ethnic communities, revolutionary history and the industrial generation that built modern Liupanshui.

Custom and Habit

• Ethnic Festivals: Ethnic festivals in Liupanshui include Zhexi Nuo Opera(折溪傩戏), Cai Hua Dong(采花洞), Tiaohua festival and Torch festival and so on.
• Folk Music: Among various ethnic groups in Liupanshui, instrumental folk music includes Lusheng, Suona, straight flute, three holes flute, four holes flute, Yueqin, Erhu, bronze drum, bass drum, flower drum, leather drum, cymbal, gong, bell, wooden fish and so on. All kinds of instrumental music have different combination music scores, and play on different occasions. Lusheng tune, Suona score and bronze drum score are relatively distinctive and wide-spread.
• Food Culture: The food culture in Liupanshui has the characteristics of strong regionalism, diversified categories, rich cultural connotation, flexible cooking skills, unique food making, regional style historical inheritance and multi-compound.