Student Life in Guizhou: Climate, Food and Travel Times to Other Cities

Guizhou is a mild, low-pressure place to study. Winters are cool rather than cold, summers are pleasantly warm, and most major Chinese cities are one to five hours away by air or high-speed rail. The provincial admissions brochure for international students (produced April 2026) says 42 higher education institutions in Guizhou are qualified to enroll international students, and students come from 85 countries.

Climate

Guizhou has a subtropical humid monsoon climate. Winters are mild, with January averages of about 3°C to 6°C. Summers are warm but not extreme, with July averages of about 22°C to 25°C. Rain falls mostly in the warm season, so expect wet summers. Guiyang, the provincial capital, is known as the "Summer Resort Capital of China," which is a useful point if you are comparing it with hotter cities in southern China.

Food

Guizhou cooking is built around sour, spicy, fresh and aromatic flavors. Dishes to try include sour soup fish, siwawa (wrapped shredded vegetables, a local snack), and spicy chicken. Miao sour soup, Dong pickled fish and Bouyei five-color glutinous rice are regional specialties.

In Guiyang and other main cities, you will find restaurants serving food from across China and from abroad. Delivery apps work across the province, and large supermarkets stock imported food. Most students will not have trouble finding familiar ingredients.

Getting around

Guizhou's location makes it easy to reach other parts of China for breaks, visits or travel between semesters. The brochure gives these approximate travel times.

Flights from Guiyang (approximate)

High-speed rail (approximate)

Schedules and fares change, so check current timetables before you book.

Culture and free time

Guizhou hosts academic and art events through the year. These include the China International Big Data Industry Expo and intangible cultural heritage workshops. The province's ethnic festivals are also popular. "Village BA," a grassroots basketball league that includes Miao and Dong performances, and "Village Super League," a rural football league, have drawn national attention. Guiyang, known as "China's Southwest Coffee Champion City," holds coffee festivals with top baristas and creative markets. Free open-air concerts are often held at city landmarks.

Universities in the province

The brochure lists 33 institutions by name:

• 贵州大学（Guizhou University）
• 贵阳康养职业大学（Guiyang Healthcare Vocational University）
• 铜仁学院（Tongren University）
• 贵州师范大学（Guizhou Normal University）
• 贵州民族大学（Guizhou Minzu University）
• 贵州财经大学（Guizhou University of Finance and Economics）
• 贵州医科大学（Guizhou Medical University）
• 贵州中医药大学（Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine）
• 遵义医科大学（Zunyi Medical University）
• 贵州师范学院（Guizhou Education University）
• 贵州理工学院（Guizhou Institute of Technology）
• 贵州开放大学（贵州职业技术学院）（Guizhou Open University (Guizhou Vocational Technology Institute)）
• 贵阳学院（Guiyang University）
• 遵义师范学院（Zunyi Normal University）
• 六盘水师范学院（Liupanshui Normal University）
• 贵州工程应用技术学院（Guizhou University of Engineering Science）
• 凯里学院（Kaili University）
• 黔南民族师范学院（Qiannan Normal University for Nationalities）
• 贵阳信息科技学院（Guiyang Institute of Information Science and Technology）
• 贵州中医药大学时珍学院（Shizhen College of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine）
• 贵州交通职业大学（Guizhou Communications Polytechnic University）
• 贵州轻工职业大学（Guizhou Light Industry Polytechnic University）
• 贵州工业职业技术学院（Guizhou Industry Polytechnic College）
• 贵州建设职业技术学院（Guizhou Polytechnic of Construction）
• 贵州水利水电职业技术学院（Guizhou Vocational and Technical College of Water Resources and Hydropower）
• 贵州电子信息职业技术学院（Guizhou Vocational Technology College of Electronics & Information）
• 贵州航天职业技术学院（Guizhou Aerospace Vocational and Technical College）
• 贵州经贸职业技术学院（Guizhou Vocational College of Economics and Business）
• 贵州护理职业技术学院（Guizhou Nursing Vocational College）
• 贵州城市职业学院（Guizhou City Vocational College）
• 贵阳幼儿师范高等专科学校（Guiyang Preschool Education College）
• 贵阳职业技术学院（Guiyang Vocational and Technical College）
• 铜仁职业技术学院（Tongren Polytechnic College）

The province as a whole says 42 institutions are qualified to enroll international students. The brochure's list has 33 names, so the other institutions are not named in the material this article draws on.

What to confirm with the university

The brochure does not give tuition, scholarship amounts or application deadlines, so do not rely on any figures in this article for those. Check the current notice on the international education college or international exchange office website of the university you are interested in. For program details, teaching language, length of study and entry requirements, confirm with that same office before you apply.