Hidden among the karst mountains of Yanhe Tujia county, it has become one of the region’s most talked-about attractions, drawing visitors eager to experience a game in one of the most unexpected sporting venues imaginable.
Set within Fengming Cave along the Wujiang River, the court is surrounded by towering limestone formations and naturally cooled by the cavern’s year-round temperatures.
What began as a grassroots community initiative has since evolved into a unique tourism draw, blending sports, local culture and Guizhou’s dramatic natural landscape. Visitors are often invited to join friendly matches with local villagers, who take the games far more seriously than one might expect.
Yet the cave court is only one small part of Guizhou’s appeal. Long known for its mist-shrouded mountains, ethnic heritage and dramatic landscapes, the province offers a striking mix of nature, history, and rapidly evolving tourism experiences.
Among its most famous landmarks is Fanjing Mountain, a Unesco World Natural Heritage site rising more than 2,500m above sea level in the northeastern part of the province. Visitors reach the mountain’s iconic Red Clouds Golden Summit via a cable-car ride, followed by a steep hike up narrow stone stairways carved into the mountainside.
The climb can be exhausting, particularly near the summit, but the reward comes in the form of sweeping views of mist-covered peaks and dramatic rock formations, including the well-known Mushroom Rock.
The mountain is also home to rich biodiversity, with conservation efforts carefully balancing tourism and environmental protection.
Guizhou’s landscapes are matched by its growing food and agricultural identity. Jiangkou County in Tongren has emerged as one of China’s major matcha-producing regions, with sprawling tea plantations and modern processing facilities supplying products to international markets.
The region’s cool climate and mountainous terrain have proven especially suitable for cultivating high-quality green-tea leaves used in matcha production.
For travellers, the experience goes beyond simply tasting tea. Plantation visits offer a closer look at how traditional cultivation methods are being combined with modern technology and processing techniques.
History also remains deeply woven into daily life across the province. At the Zhongnanmen Historical and Cultural Tourist Area in Tongren, centuries-old architecture from the Ming and Qing dynasties lines narrow alleyways and traditional courtyards.
By evening, the district transforms with cultural performances and glowing light displays while still retaining much of its old-world atmosphere.
Elsewhere, the Lizhi Gorge area along the Wujiang River offers quieter scenery, with cliffs, waterfalls and emerald-green waters forming part of Guizhou’s growing ecotourism appeal.
Guiyang, the provincial capital, presents a different side of Guizhou altogether. Known for its cool weather and laid-back pace, the city blends historic districts such as Qingyan Ancient Town with lively modern spaces like Qingyun Market, where street food, local snacks and late-night crowds create a distinctly contemporary energy.
The city is also embracing technology in unusual ways. At the Long March Cultural Digital Art Museum, visitors move through immersive exhibitions using virtual reality, artificial intelligence and interactive storytelling to revisit historical events through multisensory displays rather than traditional static exhibits.
Once considered one of China’s more remote provinces, Guizhou has undergone rapid transformation in recent years, aided by improved transport networks and high-speed rail connections.
But despite the modernisation, much of its charm still lies in the contrast between old and new – where ancient villages, misty mountain trails, and even underground basketball courts coexist with the province’s fast-changing urban landscape.