Guizhou

Guizhou is a fascinating area to see the culture of some of China's ethnic minorities, having visited the province twice recently myself, but there are too few books in English on this province. Gina Corrigan's book is a must for anyone who wants an understanding of the culture and history of the colourful people here. The book is well organized into different parts of Guizhou, with lots of sugested itineraries. It also gives an excellent overview of the different ethnic groups and its customs. This is by no means a comprehensive book on Guizhou. That would require a size many times this one. There are just too many hidden corners to explore. There are places in the book that I wish for more specific details. The book is also thin on pratical information such as buses, trains, hotel lists. The Lonely planet SW China Guide would be a workable complement for that.There are some beautiful photos in the book. Even if you don;t plan on visiting the area soon, it still makes a very interesting book to read.

I normally don't like Odyssey guidebooks, but a Chinese friend gave me their guidebook to Guizhou when I was undecided where to go on holiday. On the basis of it, I decided to visit the province as part of a three-week trip out of Beijing to South China. The book has excellent photos, but was light in areas on how-to details. I used it in tandem with Lonely Planet's guide to China, and the two complimented each other nicely. I only spent 10 days in Guizhou, which wasn't enough. I'm heading back someday, and will use the guide to festival dates in the book to better plan my visit.