[2025 Pingtang Stay] Travel Guide for FAST LIGHT YEARS AWAY (Updated May)

Sisters! I just came back from Luodian, Guizhou with my baby during the May Day holiday. The scenery was so beautiful, like falling into a fairy's palette 🎨, but I stepped on so many pitfalls that I wanted to buy a standing ticket and escape back to Beijing... It was supposed to be a niche secret, but no one told me about these hidden critical hits!! ⚠️Pitfall #1: Huangguoshu Waterfall's "Special Forces Training" I went there for the filming location of Journey to the West, but it almost turned into "The Tang Monk and His Disciples' Heatstroke Record" 🔥! When we arrived at Huangguoshu at 9am, the queue for the sightseeing bus was enough to make us give up—the crowds were denser than the waterfall's spray! My baby hung on his dad's neck like a "human pendant" for an hour. In the end, we survived on the prickly pear juice sold by an old lady at the entrance of the scenic spot (sour and sweet, super refreshing 🍹). ‼️Bloody experience: Either rush to enter at 7:30am with the first group, or go straight to the Silver Chain Falling Pool Waterfall! There are fewer people, and the kids can play in the water. The mist on your face is more refreshing than air conditioning 💦. ⛑️Pitfall #2: The Romantic Trap of Afternoon Tea in a Cave Exploring the Earth's core sounds cool, right? The reality is—the temperature in the cave is close to 16℃ ❄️! The dinosaur sun protection clothing I brought for my baby became a warm treasure in seconds, and I was shivering in my short skirt (the big brother from Northeast China contributed a heat pack to save my life 😢). ‼️Life-saving discovery: The Lightyear Beyond Hotel actually has ginger tea! I drank three cups after playing, so the cave travel photos didn't turn into "zombie mother and son" 👻. 🍜Pitfall #3: The "Dark Surprise" of Sour Soup Fish Guizhou cuisine is indeed amazing, but the Houttuynia cordata attack was too sudden!! I was happily gnawing on pig's trotters in Qingyan Ancient Town when I suddenly tasted a "rotten fishy smell" and almost threw up... Later, I learned that cold dishes are usually served with Houttuynia cordata! ‼️Life-saving mantra: Be sure to shout "No Houttuynia cordata!" when ordering! (I recommend the pitaya glutinous rice cake sold at the entrance of the ancient town. It's soft, glutinous, and sweet. The baby loves it 💜.) ✨Private Healing Moments 1️⃣ The Emerald Glass Water of Daxiao Jing in Luodian When I took my baby on a bamboo raft, I almost thought I had traveled to Life of Pi 🚣! The water was so clear that you could see the fish hitting the bottom of the boat. My baby scooped up air all the way with a net (the importance is in the participation 😂). 2️⃣ The Milky Way Critical Hit in the Astronomy Town The night I stayed at the Lightyear Beyond Hotel, I saw the sky full of stars when I pushed open the window ✨! The baby pointed to the sky and shouted, "Mom, look at the sprinkled white sugar!" Suddenly, I felt that all the pitfalls I had stepped on were worth it 😭. 3️⃣ The Hidden Easter Egg at the Amber Hotel I originally thought that the Guiyang Amber Hotel was just a place to sleep, but I didn't expect the bookshelf in the lobby to hide Miao costumes! I put a silver necklace on my baby and took a photo, and she instantly turned into a "little mountain village princess" 👑. 🚗Advice from Someone Who's Been There ✅ Guizhou's attractions are more scattered than a marathon! It was a lifesaver that the parent-child group we joined had a nanny van for transportation (the tour guide also helped carry the stroller). ✅ The cave abseiling looks scary, but a 5-year-old can play with a safety rope (my baby showed off for three days after coming down 🤣). ✅ Don't believe the "light hiking" nonsense! You must bring at least 2 bottles of water + mosquito repellent stickers to Daxiao Jing. The flower mosquitoes by the river can bite through jeans 👖. Standing on the viewing platform of China's Tianyan, looking at the "big pot" that is bigger than a soccer field, I suddenly heard my baby say: "Mom, will there be children in the universe looking at me too?" At that moment, the mountain breeze blew away all the fatigue—perhaps the pitfalls of the journey are to make the starlight shine brighter 🌌 (but next time I will definitely bring a down jacket into the cave!!).

Sisters! Take my advice - don't be fooled by Guizhou's "secret places"! We agreed to take the kids on a lie-down trip, but it almost turned into a wilderness survival trip... (but it smelled so good) 🔥Pit 1: The promised "worry-free parent-child tour" almost made me go crazy! The tour guide said it only takes 2 hours to get from Guiyang Amber Hotel to Huangguoshu, but it turned out to be extremely congested during the May Day holiday! My 4-year-old kid was crying in trio in the back seat, and I almost tore the seat belt...but! When we saw the mist from Huangguoshu Waterfall coming towards us, the whole family automatically turned off the noise! Standing under the Silver Chain Falling Pond Waterfall, the baby suddenly shouted: "Mom, is this the Water Curtain Cave of Sun Wukong?" (The old mother burst into tears, who knows 😭) ✅Tips to avoid pitfalls: When traveling with a tour group, you must choose a tour group that includes airport transfers! The swimming pool of Guiyang Amber Hotel saved my life - I threw my baby in there for half an hour at night and he turned into an angel baby in seconds👼 🔥Pit 2: Afternoon tea in the cave is romantic? It’s all mother’s blood and tears! The entrance to the cave for exploring the center of the earth looks like a rabbit hole, and the two kids were scared to tears after entering! The coach said "rappel 5 meters easily", I almost performed a vertical fall while holding my baby who was shaking like a sieve 😱 But! When the flashlight illuminated the trilobite fossil wall, the coach took out hot cocoa and cave-baked sweet potatoes - the human cub suddenly switched to archaeologist mode, holding up the stone and insisting that it was "dinosaur poop" 💩 ✅Life-saving guide: Let your child wear non-slip river trekking shoes! Remember to bring a golden reflector when taking photos in the cave. The Milky Way cave ceiling captured by the photographer is so stunning that it makes you want to cry😍 🔥Pit 3: Sour Soup Fish almost turned into "Family Splatoon"! While paddling a bamboo raft to watch the floating market at Xiaojing and Dajing in Luodian, an old lady on the shore enthusiastically gave me a bowl of red sour soup... The moment I drank it, my whole family's facial expressions collapsed! but! I met a grandma selling dragon fruit glutinous rice balls on the corner. 5 dollars saved the world! Key point 👉 Be sure to choose the evening session for Tiankeng paddle boarding! The emerald green river water was dyed into dragon fruit color by the sunset, and my kid announced on the spot that he wanted to be a "rowing pirate"🏴‍☠️ ✅ Foodie defense line: carry children’s probiotics with you! The starry sky theme meal at the Light Years Away Hotel is amazing. The steak is cut into the shape of a little astronaut, and the picky eater will take the initiative to clean the plate🪐 💥Shocking Easter Eggs: There are 789 steps to climb to the China Sky Eye Observation Deck! Just when I was about to curse, the staff took out the "climb the stairs to exchange for meteorites" activity - the kids held real space meteorite fragments and jumped down the mountain ✨ The braised pork feet in Qingyan Ancient Town are ridiculously delicious! Hide in the corner of the century-old city wall and eat it, it’s 100 times more delicious than the Internet celebrity restaurant! To be honest, after this trip my kids will be able to recite "Suspected Milky Way Falling from the Sky", it's worth it! Finally, a roaring reminder: you must wear wading shoes when going to the big and small wells! The pebbles at the bottom of the river are so slippery that you can dance a waltz, and the splash my husband made when he fell was higher than the splash of the bamboo raft... (The video has been saved in the black history collection 🤫) Sisters, hurry up! Next article reveals the secret 👉 30 minutes of losing a baby in a karst tiankeng... (The ending is so heartwarming!)

This is my favorite hotel on my trip to Guizhou so far, with the beautiful name "Lightyear Beyond." Pass through a 300m-long dark karst cave, and suddenly the view opens up as if you've entered an otherworldly paradise. The wooden structure and warm colors seem to carry the comfort of the green hills and clear waters in every inch. The sound of cicadas filters through the window screen. Here, you can be engrossed or distracted. The only thing that can disturb us is the evening breeze blowing from the valley. At night, in addition to the sound of rain knocking on the banana leaves, I also heard sounds from outer space 13.7 billion light years away at the base. I've always wondered why this hotel doesn't have strict security checks, but it blocks our cell phone signals and provides Wi-Fi. Later, I learned that all of the more than 900 pulsars that the FAST telescope has detected so far, the sum of all the electromagnetic pulse signals, is not enough to turn a page of a book. Such weak energy can be disturbed by even the slightest cell phone signal. Generation after generation of captains have turned their eyes to the distant universe, exploring the galaxy, searching for new worlds, discovering new civilizations, and bravely venturing into places where no one has gone before. Although that's in the movies, and we can't travel between stars yet, mapping pulsar spectra is used for future space travel, and the principle is the same as navigation and positioning. On one side is the radio telescope, which represents the world's highest technology, and on the other is a secluded secret place in the wilderness. The documentary "Wonders of the Universe" says that every atom in my body and yours comes from the same matrix billions of light years away, at the beginning of the universe. We are closely dependent on each other, and even if we are far apart, time will allow us to overlap each other, and life will never cease. We have no way of knowing what kind of world is out there, but that doesn't stop us from continuing on our journey to the stars...

The ultimate guide to kid-friendly travel in Luodian, Guizhou: unique and fun Luodian, Guizhou, a hidden gem in the southwest, boasts unique karst landforms, emerald rivers, mysterious caves, and spectacular sinkholes. It's the perfect choice for a family vacation. Escape the hustle and bustle of the city with your kids and experience the wonders of nature! I. Must-See Attractions 1. Daxiaojing: Known as the "Oriental Cave Museum," this area combines caves, sinkholes, unusual mountains, and beautiful waters. Take a bamboo raft ride (¥30/person, about 20 minutes, ¥120-¥160 for a private raft if there are few people) down the clear, emerald green river, and feel like you're in a painting. The sinkhole is the main attraction of Daxiaojing. Stand at the bottom and look up at the hundred-meter cliffs to experience the majesty of nature. Kids can also play in the shallows and enjoy a cool and fun family time. 2. Huangguoshu Waterfall: The largest waterfall in Asia, it is truly magnificent. First, visit Doupotang Waterfall, the filming location for the end credits of *Journey to the West*. Then, hike to the main waterfall, passing through Tianxing Cave, Yinlian Zhuitan Waterfall, and the Water Stone Forest. Let your children experience the magic of nature and the splendor of the cascading water. 3. Karst Caves: Hundreds of millions of years ago, Guizhou was an ocean, leaving behind many mysterious karst caves. Here, children can enjoy cave afternoon tea, experience the thrill of slacklining and rappelling, explore the wonders of the caves, learn about marine fossils, and embark on a mysterious journey to the center of the earth. 4. Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST): Take your children to the Pingtang Astronomy Experience Hall to learn about the mysteries of the universe through interactive exhibits and science activities. Ascend to the FAST viewing platform and overlook this great scientific project to spark your children's interest in astronomy. II. Five-Day Family Itinerary Day 1: Arrive in Guiyang - Morning: Arrive in Guiyang, check in to Amber Hotel, and take a break. - Afternoon: Visit Erqi Road Snack Street and sample local delicacies such as "Siwawa" and "Lian'ai Doufuguo" to kick off your Guizhou food tour. - Evening: Admire the night view of Guiyang at Jiaxiu Tower and experience the historical charm of the city. Day 2: Guiyang - Huangguoshu Waterfall - Guiyang - Morning: Visit Huangguoshu Waterfall Scenic Area, first Doupotang Waterfall, then hike to the main waterfall, and see Yinlian Zhuitan Waterfall and Tianxingqiao Scenic Area. - Lunch: Enjoy Anshun rolls and "Posubao" at a restaurant near the scenic area. - Afternoon: Return to Guiyang and relax at the hotel or explore the city. Day 3: Guiyang - Earth Exploration - Astronomy Town - Morning: Visit the mysterious karst caves, enjoy cave afternoon tea, and participate in slacklining and rappelling. - Lunch: Have a light meal near the cave for a unique dining experience. - Afternoon: Travel to Astronomy Town and check in to a themed hotel to immerse yourselves in the atmosphere. Day 4: FAST - Beyond Light Years Hotel - Morning: Visit the Pingtang Astronomy Experience Hall to learn about astronomy. - Lunch: Enjoy local cuisine in Astronomy Town, such as sour soup noodles and tofu rice. - Afternoon: Ascend to the FAST viewing platform for a panoramic view, then check in to the Beyond Light Years Hotel. Day 5: Luodian Daxiaojing - Morning: Visit Daxiaojing, hike in the mountains, and admire the naturally formed sinkholes. - Lunch: Savor local specialties such as yellow bean chicken, purple lotus leaf cakes, and colorful glutinous rice at a farmhouse restaurant. - Afternoon: Learn about stand-up paddleboarding with an instructor, experience paddleboarding in a designated area, and then visit a cave photo spot to capture the beauty of the karst landscape and take beautiful family photos. III. Food Recommendations 1. Yellow Bean Chicken: A Luodian specialty, the tender chicken is paired with soft yellow beans for a rich and satisfying flavor. 2. Sour Soup Beef: A classic Guizhou dish, the sour and spicy soup base with tender beef and vegetables is a family favorite. 3. Lotus Leaf Cake: Fragrant lotus leaves wrap soft glutinous rice, available in various flavors such as original and red bean paste. Sweet but not greasy, it's a favorite among children. 4. Potato Pancake: Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, this potato pancake is served with a special sauce for a rich taste. It's a common and delicious street snack. IV. Accommodation Guide 1. Amber Hotel Guiyang: Located in the city center, it offers convenient transportation and is surrounded by various restaurants. The hotel provides attentive service and spacious, comfortable rooms for a good rest. 2. Astronomy Town Themed Hotel: Filled with astronomical elements, the rooms are decorated with a futuristic touch, immersing children in the universe. You can also participate in astronomy science activities organized by the hotel. 3. Beyond Light Years Hotel: Located near FAST, it offers excellent facilities and attentive service, making it convenient for visiting FAST the next day. 4. Luodian County Hotels: Close to Daxiaojing Scenic Area, there are many affordable accommodation options, such as Luodian Mucheng Banshan Hotel and Luodian Jincheng Shangjia Hotel, perfect for resting after a day of sightseeing. V. Travel Tips 1. Transportation: Guizhou's attractions are scattered, so consider joining a family tour that includes airport transfers, hotel accommodation, private car transportation, and attraction tickets for a hassle-free experience. If driving, plan your route in advance and be cautious on mountain roads. 2. Dietary Preferences: Guizhou cuisine is mainly sour and spicy. If your children can't handle spicy food, inform the waiter when ordering so the chef can reduce the chili or prepare some milder dishes. 3. Comfortable Clothing: Pack comfortable athletic shoes for walking in the scenic areas. Guizhou's weather is changeable, so bring rain gear and a jacket. 4. Mosquito Repellent: There are many trees and mosquitoes in the scenic areas, so bring mosquito repellent patches, mosquito repellent, etc., to protect your children from mosquito bites.

A visit to Guizhou is incomplete without seeing the great national project, the China Sky Eye FAST. The Sky Eye scenic tour is divided into two parts. First, visit the 'Pingtang International Astronomy Experience Hall,' and then take a tour bus to the Sky Eye. The Astronomy Experience Hall offers explanations about the development of astronomy and an overview of radio telescopes, which can be educational for children. The only place where you need to queue is the 'Planetarium Theater,' which has a show every twenty minutes and can accommodate over a hundred people per session (including standing room). The theater has a dome with a diameter of 15 meters and uses naked-eye 3D to perfectly showcase the charm of the starry sky, providing an immersive experience of the universe's changes, making the solar system feel within reach. For the second stop, the Sky Eye, you need to store all electronic devices such as mobile phones and cameras in lockers before departure (electronic devices interfere with the Sky Eye). Remember to bring some cash, as you will need it to buy water or take photos later. Afterward, take the scenic tour bus to the Sky Eye, and then climb over seven hundred steps to overlook the great national project, the China Sky Eye. Knowledge Point: FAST stands for 'Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope.' There is a 'Guizhou Sky Eye Light Year Beyond Hotel' next to the scenic area, which is within walking distance.