Guiyang

About Guiyang

Guiyang is the capital of Guizhou province in the People's Republic of China. It is centrally located within the province, on the eastern part of the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, and sits on the north bank of the Nanming River, a tributary of the Wu River. The city is situated at an elevation of approximately 1,100 meters (3,600 ft) and covers an area of 8,034 square kilometers (3,102 sq mi). According to the 2020 census, Guiyang had a total population of 5,987,018, with 4,506,134 lived in its six urban districts. Despite being the capital of Guizhou, it is not the largest city in the province, which is Zunyi.

Guiyang has a humid subtropical climate and is surrounded by mountains and forests. The area has been inhabited since at least the Spring and Autumn period and officially became the provincial capital in 1413, during the Ming dynasty. The city is home to a significant Miao and Bouyei ethnic minority population.

Guiyang has a diversified economy, historically known for aluminum production, phosphate mining, and optical instrument manufacturing. Following economic reforms, the service sector now contributes the majority of the city's economic output. Since 2015, targeted developments in big data have helped Guiyang rapidly emerge as a local innovation hub.

As of 2025, Guiyang is ranked among the top 150 science cities globally based on scientific research outputs, as tracked by the Nature Index. The city is also home to Guizhou University, a national research university under the Project 211 and designated for the Double First-Class Construction in certain disciplines.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.