Kaili Administrative Divisions

Kaili city has jurisdiction over 7 subdistricts and 11 towns. The city government is located in Dashizi Subdistrict(大十字街道).

• 7 Subdistricts: Dashizi Subdistrict(大十字街道), Chengxi Subdistrict(城西街道), Ximen Subdistrict(西门街道), Wanxi Subdistrict(湾溪街道), Kaihuai Subdistrict(开怀街道), Ximahe Subdistrict(洗马河街道) and Yatang Subdistrict(鸭塘街道).
• 11 Towns: Sankeshu Town(三棵树镇), Zhouxi Town(舟溪镇), Panghai Town(旁海镇), Wanshui Town(湾水镇), Wanchao Town(万潮镇), Longchang Town(龙场镇), Kaitang Town(凯棠镇), Dafengdong Town(大风洞镇), Xiasi Town(下司镇), Lushan Town(炉山镇), and Bibo Town(碧波镇).

Kaili City (凯里市) is a county-level city and the capital of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州). It functions as the prefecture’s political, economic, cultural, transport and tourism-service centre and is often described as the “Pearl of the Miao Mountains.”

Kaili covers approximately 1,569.7 square kilometres. It borders Taijiang County (台江县) to the east, Majiang County (麻江县) and Fuquan City (福泉市) to the west, Leishan County (雷山县) and Danzhai County (丹寨县) to the south, and Huangping County (黄平县) to the north.

Kaili directly administers 20 township-level divisions: nine subdistricts and eleven towns. It does not administer any subordinate counties or additional county-level cities. The municipal government is located in Dashizi Subdistrict (大十字街道). The current administrative structure is confirmed by Kaili’s official government information and recent departmental documents.

Administrative Structure and Tourism Geography

Kaili’s administrative geography can be understood through three main tourism zones: the urban centre, the Miao cultural villages east and south of the city, and the rural heritage and agricultural areas to the west.

Urban Subdistricts and Cultural Services

The nine subdistricts form the main urban area of Kaili. Dashizi, Chengxi, Ximen, Wanxi and Ximahe contain established commercial streets, restaurants, markets, hotels and residential neighbourhoods. These districts are the most convenient base for sampling Kaili sour-soup cuisine, Miao embroidery, batik, silver jewellery and local night-market food.

Kaihuai and Baiguojing form part of the city’s eastern expansion and connect the urban centre with the Bala River and the Miao villages of Sankeshu. Yatang and Baiwu extend southward toward the high-speed railway area, modern public facilities and the urban–rural tourism corridor.

The Kaili Miao and Dong Customs Park (凯里苗侗风情园), local intangible-heritage workshops and tourism-shopping venues introduce visitors to silverwork, embroidery, batik, traditional medicine and ethnic cuisine. Municipal planning has also supported the development of Miao–Dong cultural streets, sour-soup food districts and upgraded historic commercial areas such as Ximen Old Street (西门老街).

Bala River Miao Cultural Corridor

The most important rural cultural-tourism area extends eastward through Sankeshu Town (三棵树镇). The Bala River valley contains several traditional Miao communities, including Nanhua Miao Village (南花苗寨) and Jidao Miao Village (季刀苗寨).

Jidao is a nationally listed Chinese traditional village known for its century-old stone paths, communal granaries, ancient songs, old trees and riverside wooden houses. Nanhua preserves long-skirt Miao clothing, stilted wooden architecture and village life along the Bala River.

This corridor is suitable for village walks, homestays, Miao food, embroidery demonstrations and festival-related visits. However, these are inhabited communities rather than open-air museums, so visitors should request permission before entering private houses or photographing ceremonies.

Zhouxi Lusheng and Agricultural Tourism

Zhouxi Town (舟溪镇) is one of Kaili’s best-known centres of Miao lusheng culture. Its large traditional gathering ground hosts the Zhouxi Lusheng Festival, during which surrounding villages participate in lusheng dancing, costume displays and social gatherings.

The town is also home to Yungu Garden (云谷田园), a nationally rated rural-tourism attraction combining modern agriculture, flower landscapes, family activities and agricultural education. Xiasi Ancient Town and Yungu Garden were both developed as national 4A attractions within Kaili’s tourism system.

Xiasi Ancient Town and the Qingshui River

Xiasi Town (下司镇) is Kaili’s most important historic-town destination. Located beside the Qingshui River, it developed as a commercial port and transport centre linking southeastern Guizhou with surrounding regions.

The restored town contains traditional streets, guild-hall culture, riverside buildings, bridges, craft workshops and performances. Visitors may encounter dragon-boat activities, single-bamboo drifting, roadside concerts, batik, embroidery and local farmers’ paintings during major holiday programs.

Xiasi is one of the easiest areas in Kaili for combining heritage sightseeing, food, accommodation and evening leisure.

Xianglu Mountain and Western Rural Areas

Xianglu Mountain (香炉山) stands between Wanchao Town (万潮镇) and Longchang Town (龙场镇), approximately 13 kilometres west of central Kaili. Its isolated summit and steep cliffs make it one of the city’s most recognizable natural and cultural landmarks. The mountain is associated with Miao history, folk legends and the traditional climbing gathering held around the 19th day of the sixth lunar month.

The surrounding towns contain forest landscapes, Miao villages, agricultural land and seasonal festival resources. Compared with Xiasi and Sankeshu, tourism facilities are less concentrated, making this area more suitable for private transport, hiking and community-based rural visits.

Northern and Eastern Rural Tourism

Panghai, Wanshui, Kaitang and Dafengdong retain extensive rural landscapes, ethnic villages, traditional markets and agricultural resources. Their tourism value lies mainly in village festivals, mountain scenery, local food, farming experiences and small-scale ecological tourism rather than major ticketed attractions.

Panghai follows sections of the Qingshui River (清水江) and has potential for riverside recreation and forest wellness. Municipal planning has proposed rural-tourism projects such as the Xiaobao forest-health complex. Kaitang and Wanshui are associated with Miao village culture and local festivals, while Dafengdong has agricultural, forest and blueberry-growing landscapes.

Lushan and Bibo

Lushan Town (炉山镇) is a western industrial and transport centre connected with the Lubi economic-development zone. Its tourism resources are less developed than those of Xiasi or Sankeshu, although surrounding forests, villages and local markets provide opportunities for rural and industrial-study tourism.

Bibo Town (碧波镇) combines agricultural production with suburban leisure. Development plans highlight modern agricultural parks, tea production, fruit growing, science education and seasonal picking experiences. Bibo and Xiasi were transferred from Majiang to Kaili during the city’s territorial expansion, strengthening Kaili’s western development corridor.

Main Tourism Resources by Administrative Area

The tourism references in this table identify representative resources and development roles; they are not intended to imply that every location is an officially rated scenic area.

Complete Kaili Administrative Division Table

Kaili has no subordinate counties or county-level cities. Its complete township-level structure consists of the following nine subdistricts and eleven towns.

Kaili’s tourism pattern is therefore not centred on a single urban attraction. The city centre provides accommodation, dining, museums and transport; Sankeshu and Zhouxi preserve the strongest Miao cultural experiences; Xiasi represents historic-town and river-port heritage; while Wanchao, Longchang, Panghai and the other rural towns offer mountain scenery, village festivals and agricultural tourism.