A bite of delicacies along revolutionary landmarks in Guizhou

During the Long March, the Red Army traveled as long as 25,000 kilometers in one year and seven days. Along the journey, the Red army soldiers climbed over snow-covered mountains, passed through perilous meadows and swamps. This is a miracle in human history. Many important events in the Long March, such as the Liping Meeting, the Houchang Meeting, the Wujiang Battle, four Chishui River crossings as well as the Zunyi Meeting, that has exerted a far-reaching influence on the development of CPC took place in Guizhou Province.

Nowadays, lots of tourists come to Guizhou to visit former battlefields of the Red Army. Let’s follow the Revolutionary landmarks to trace the stories of heroes and taste local delicious cuisines.

Mutton Rice Noodles and Tiao Tangyuan (glue puddings made of red potatoes) are hearty meals in Zunyi, a red tourism city.

Revolutionary landmarks: Bozhou District of Zunyi City (the Gouba Meeting Site, Wujiangdu Scenic Area)—Zunyi City (the Zunyi Meeting Site)—Tucheng Ancient Town in Xishui County (Crossing the Chishui River Four Times Memorial Hall)—Loushan Pass Scenic Area.

Specialties: Red Army Paddy Field Fish, Gouba Mai’ erduo (ear-shaped noodles), Wujiang Catfish with Tofu, Zunyi Mutton Rice Noodles, Zunyi Tofu Noodles, Tiao Tangyuan, Xishui-style Braised Dried Tofu, Loushan Braised Chicken.

Zunyi boasts splendid red culture. The Gouba Meeting and the Zunyi Meeting were held here. Zunyi also has Wujiangdu Scenic Area, the site of Wujiang Battle, the memorial hall in memory of Red Army’s crossing the Chishui River four times, and the Loushan Pass Scenic Area where Mao Zedong once wrote a poem named Loushan Pass—to the tune of Yi Qin E.

In Zunyi, you shall not miss the well-known mutton rice noodles. Here is the recipe of it: make soup with fresh mutton; pour rice noodles into the soup; add mutton slices; then add seasonings. The dish has an over 300-year history. Mutton rice noodles are very common in Guizhou, but only the Zunyi style is famous. It emerged in the Tang Dynasty but took shape at the turn of the Ming and Qing Dynasty and gained its popularity in the late Qing Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, mutton and cooking skills were introduced into Zunyi from northern China. More than 400 years ago, chili was introduced here. Locals began to add mutton and chili in rice noodles and gradually it developed into Zunyi Mutton Rice Noodles. Numerous mutton rice noodles restaurants are scattered all over the streets in Zunyi, attracting many tourists. The delicacy is a must-try when you come here.

Zunyi has mutton rice noodles, Wujiangdu has Wujiang Catfish with Tofu, and Loushan Pass, Braised Chicken. Moreover, Xishui, a county of Zunyi, is home to Tiao Tangyuan, a renowned snack around Chishui River Area. Mix red potato starch and cooked red potato mash to make wrappers and stuff them with cooked pork, tofu, mustard and scallion. Then add chili oil, scallion, Zhe’ergen. A yummy snack is finished!

Don’t miss Guojuan when you visit Anshun.

Revolutionary landmarks: Anshun City (the Former Residence of Wang Ruofei)—Jinsha County, Bijie City (Qian Zhuangfei Memorial Hall)

Specialties: Anshun Guojuan, Zhenning BoBo Sugar, Fried Egg Cake, Huajiang Rice Noodles, Shatu Mutton Rice Noodles, Dongbaorou ( boiled and fried pork), Yangchang Tea Cuisine.

“If one betrays the cause of liberation concerning tens of millions of people for saving one man’s life, then he will be reviled by the mass. Thus, what’s the meaning of his life?” said Wang Zhifei, a patriotic revolutionary. At Wang’s former residence in Anshun, a quadrangle courtyard of the Qing Dynasty are displaying stuff left by Wang during his revolutionary activities when he studied in Japan and France. Those items include photos with Chinese leaders such as Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai and letters he wrote to commemorate the past revolutionary events.

At Xixiu District in Anshun, where Wang Ruofei’s former residence is located, you must try Anshun Guojuan, a famous local delicacy, which is an extremely thin rice paper rolled with chili flavoring, side dishes and mildewed tofu water inside. Cooking chili flavoring is the most important step in the recipe for Guojuan because the proportion of salt, MSG, soy source, chili sauce is strictly fixed. Side dishes include shredded kelp, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, Zhe’ergen, pickled radish, celery, scallions, peas and cilantro. All the ingredients make Guojuan spicy, crispy, and appetizing.

The Party Spirit Education Base, the Martyr Qian Zhuangfei’s Tomb and the revolutionary exhibition room of Qian Zhuangfei are telling the stories of that revolutionary period. Shatu Mutton Rice Noodles is unique to Shatu County, Bijie City, Guizhou Province. Shatu rice noodles are as thick as chopsticks. The slightly sour but fresh and smooth noodles can melt instantly in the mouth. Shatu Mutton Rice Noodles are cooked with fresh mutton, smooth rice noodles, mutton soup, seasonings and special chili extract. The mutton used in it features a good mix of fat and lean. So it is really a nutritious delicacy for all ages.

You may try Sinan Huatianba after visiting the revolutionary figures' former residences .

Revolutionary landmarks: Tongren (the Former Residence of Zhouyiqun)—Sinan County (the Former Residence of Kuang Jixun)

Specialties: Braised Duck with Chestnuts, Youbaba (fried glutinous cakes with sugar), Guobafen (rice and mung bean noodles), Sinan Huatianba and Tujia Sausage. 

Both the former residences of Zhou Yiqun in Tongren City and Kuang Jixun in Sinan County are telling the touching stories about the former revolutionaries who adhered to the cause of revolution and defended our motherland. A tour around their former residences and a taste of local delicacies will surely leave a special memory for the journey.

Braised Duck with Chestnuts is a traditional dish of Tongren City, Guizhou Province, which is served around the Double Ninth Festival. To make the dish, first cook ducklings and local chestnuts with condiments; cut cooked ducklings into cubes; pour fresh soup and then it can be served. It is salty and sweet, tender and glutinous. Since the ancient times, it has been a dish for local wedding banquets and spring banquets. Huatianba stands out among many delicacies in Sinan for its wonderful color, flavor and taste. The flower patterns inside every slice remain the same no matter how many slices are cut horizontally from the roll of Huatianba, which often surprises foreign tourists. After giving it a shot, they will appreciate its flavor. When making Huatianba, cooks are creating artistic patterns inside it. If it is cut horizontally, each piece of Huatianba has exactly the same patterns like landscapes, Chinese characters, flowers, birds, fish and insects, which also implies people’s longing for a better life.

Pickled Fish and bacon are the most distinctive food of Liping, renowned as Capital of Dong Ethnic Group in China.

Revolutionary landmarks: the site of Liping Meeting, Memorial Hall of Liping Meeting

Specialties: Pickled Fish and Bacon of Dong Ethnic Group, Xuehong (mixed pig offals with pig blood and chili), Niubie (ox dung), Liping Popo Tea ( tea made of shelled melon seeds and Cinamomum camphor leaf apexes).

Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture is the first stop of the Red Army’s Long March in Guizhou. The site and memorial hall of the Liping Meeting are unmissable destinations of the red journey in Liping. The capital of Dong Ethnic Group has a food culture in Dong style.

One of the most distinctive foods of the Dong people is pickled food, which tastes sour after being fermented though covered with lots of chili. Every year before the autumn harvest is the season for catching fish in rice paddies and is also the peak period for pickling carp. The Dong people mix the steamed glutinous rice and chili powder well, and then layer them on the salt-filled fish fillets. Repeat the steps over and over again till the closed barrel is full. The glutinous rice and fish fillets thus ferment naturally. The salt keeps the fish fillets fresh and fermented glutinous rice makes the fish fillets sweet and the long-term pickling turns chili sour. About half a year to a year, you can take the carp out and fry or roast it.

Libo of Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture gathers delicacies of minority groups.

Revolutionary landmarks: Weng’an County (the Houchang Meeting Site)—Libo County (the Former Residence of Deng Enming).

Specialties: Weng’an Rice Noodles with Spicy Chicken, Huangba (yellow rice cakes), Sour Pork, Roast Chicken, Yaoshan-style Roast Fish and Zhangjiang Roast Fish with Vegetables.

The Houchnag Meeting Site in Weng'an County and the Former Residence of Deng Enming in Libo County are the best choices for red tourism in Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Libo is a beautiful land inhabited by the Buyi, Shui, Miao, and Yao Ethnic Groups, and is also a land of delicacies. Sour pork is a kind of special cured pork of the Buyi people in Libo. After fresh pork is mixed with a variety of seasonings, it will be smoked and marinated in a jar for 10 days to half a month. The marinated meat is fresh, sour and appetizing. It is a delicacy for Libo people to entertain guests.

Weng’an Rice Noodles with Spicy Chicken is not only popular in Weng’an but also across the province. In appearance, red oil and white rice noodles make it beautiful. Speaking of taste, it is spicy and smooth. When locals return to their hometown, a bite of the dish is the first thing in their mind for this gives them a feeling of being at home. In addition, Weng’an Rice Noodles with Spicy Chicken has been awarded the title of Guizhou Famous Snack, and it is also one of the traditional dishes in Qian Cuisine (also Guizhou Cuisine).

Copyright © 2021 ALL Rights Reserved 贵州旅游 版权所有