I have just spent the past four days in Guizhou, a south-western inland district of China. The physical geography is nothing short of stunning, with most of the area covered in lush woodlands over karst hills and mountains, which, even in spring, are often shrouded with cool mists underneath grey skies. It is among some of the most beautiful landscapes I have seen, and I have been fortunate enough in life to see a great deal. One such area includes the Huangguoshu Scenic Area with its numerous waterfalls; the main one (at 100m wide and 78m high) includes a cave system behind the waterfall. This is also the location where, according to legend, the classic story "Journey to the West" begins, and the site has many monuments to this tale. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching our local guide the opening verse and chorus to the BBC series "Monkey Magic". What little flat land exists in valleys is home to packed population centres and intensive farming. As always, the physical geography has a profound influence on social geography, with Guizhou being home to numerous ethnic minority groups, such as the Buyi, Miao, Dong and Yao, whose language and culture are not just recognised but celebrated and are prevalent in locations such as the Qingyan Ancient Town.

In more recent years, Guizhou has become home to some truly remarkable projects, which I also had the opportunity to visit. This includes the world's longest and highest bridge at Huajiang Canyon, which was completed last year. Over 2km in length and a deck height of 625m, the bridge has a walkway underneath with a magnificent view, including a bungy jump, albeit at the eye-watering price of 3000RMB. Another project of note is FAST, the Five-Hundred-Metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), the world's largest and most sensitive single-aperture spherical radio telescope and includes a well-designed Astronomical Experience Museum, which includes a theatre, planetarium, and a special exhibit on black holes. It also includes a bungy jump, which at 80RMB was incredibly affordable, but alas was closed because it wasn't holiday season - stymied again! FAST is in a radio-quiet zone, which means no digital cameras, mobile phones, or even gate buzzers. The surrounding Tianyan Scenic Area more than makes up for this minor inconvenience, and one could easily spend at least a week here. Finally, Guizhou is also home to the first National Big Data Pilot Zone, which makes a great deal of sense given some of the scientific projects that are occurring nearby.

Although often overlooked by foreign tourists, in many ways, Guizhou represents a remarkable combination and harmonious balance between ancient and modern China. This is a place which, whilst clearly self-sufficient due to soil and rainfall, was less developed than the populous big trading regions of the east and southern coast. It is certainly a place that could cultivate a slower-paced and peaceful life, and unsurprisingly features heavily in classical Chinese artwork as well as being a home for the contemplative and ecologically-minded. New constructions, such as the projects just mentioned, and the extensive fast train networks with their tunnels and bridges abound, have all been introduced gently and alongside the natural environment. Although my stay was fairly short and I did not nearly visit all the remarkable sites, I feel quite confident in recommending Guizhou as a place that is well worth a visit, and I hope to do so again one day soon.

As part of an ACFS-organised trip, I have arrived in China, where I'll be for close to three weeks. The overnight flight was to Shanghai, then a connecting flight to Guiyang, where, after a visit to a local traditional vinegar factory (which is a lot more interesting than it sounds), a fast train was taken to Luzhou for the China International Alcoholic Drinks Expo in Luzhou. This city is famous for its beverages and even goes by the name "City of Liquour", by which they primarily mean baijiu, a very strong rice, maize, or sorghum brandy. The Expo itself was enormous, spanning multiple pavilions and attracting several thousand people. Most of the stalls were for Chinese companies and drinks, but there was also a good number of French, Italian, and Spanish wines, along with an extensive range of Thai products as the guest country of honour. The conference opening was enormous, and I found the keynote speaker's presentation hilarious, as he gave the impression that a "rational level of tipsy" was truly the sign of a "civilised society with enhanced emotion".

As appropriate to my own flexible approach to such things, I imbibed a few samples slowly over the morning before heading off to two museums in the afternoon: the Luzhou Museum and Luzhou Laojiao National Treasure Cellars, which were also dedicated to baijiu production and trade. One provided a historical approach, noting that historians of technology (e.g., Needham) consider regulated fermentation with yeast to be one of China's great inventions. An interesting aspect illustrated first-hand was how baidju is partially produced in mounds of cellar mud, which enhances flavour (science!). The second museum was more contemporary in style, providing a rather amazing collection of the grand variety of baidju bottles which are often stylised for particular years, horoscope animals, life events, and sports. The highlight of this trip was the DIY production of a baijiu blend, combining relatively recent products of different strengths and three syringes of older brews. Thankfully, they were for adding small amounts to our blend, rather than mainlining the contents.

Mention must be made of the Howard Johnson hotel where we stayed; it was modern, stylish, and with an incredible guest lunch on our arrival and a successive buffet feast three times a day after that. Sichuan province is, of course, famous for its chilli with a variety of colours and strengths, and for the powerful Sichuan pepper, which numbs the lips and tongue. Add these to liberal doses of garlic, ginger, star anise, wuxiang, fruit peels, spiced salt, and you'll quickly find out why the region's capital is a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. When combined with baijiu, it is clear that the people of this city, in particular, and of this province, in general, like their flavours to have a kick like the strongest mule. Whilst it was a brief visit to the city, one really got the sense that this indeed deserves the appellation of "city of liquor and spice" and is well worth a more regular visit.