Guizhou Province & Luodian County: Demography, Economy, and Culture

Guizhou Province covers 68,000 square miles on the eastern slope of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Most of the province is between 3,300 and 4,600 feet above sea level. It is home to 38 million people.

Guizhou is primarily an agricultural province, with 82% of the population living in rural areas. The soil is thin and rocky.

Land reforms in the late 1970s helped to enlarge agricultural surpluses and a wide variety of goods are now produced. With its subtropical climate and high altitudes, Guizhou has an average of 270 frost-free days. Guizhou farmers produce grain—rice, rape (for oil and animal fodder), millet, and maize—and an almost continuous supply of fruits and vegetables.

There are rich mineral resources, including phosphorus ore, bauxite, and coal. These natural resources are helping the province to improve its economy and create a growing industrial base.

Agriculture dominates and much of it yields little more than a subsistence living. Even farmers who might produce enough to sell live in profound poverty. A teacher from Luodian County described the hardships faced by many:

"For those who live in the karst areas, life becomes even more difficult. Not only do they lack grain, money, and farm tools, but also they cannot even be assured of enough water, edible oil, salt, or even housing."*

By most any measure, Guizhou is the poorest of China's 31 provinces and municipalities. In 2008, its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ranked the lowest in China at 8,824 Yuan per capita, or US$1,270.** This average masks the great disparity between Guizhou's urban dwellers, with a GDP per capita of 20,638 Yuan, approximately US$3,022. In the area where Luodian County is located, the GDP per capita averages just over US$700.

Guizhou, like other interior provinces, is a melting pot of ethnic groups. The Han, China's majority ethnic group, makes up 66% of the population. The remaining 34% consists of several ethnic groups, with the Miao and Bouyei people representing a large share.

Each group has its own distinctive dress, customs, religious beliefs, and architecture. Miao women are famous for their embroidery and silver jewelry. The Bouyei are highly skilled in stonemasonry and batik-cloth dyeing.

Western edge of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, facing Tibet

Karst mountains in Luodian County

Bouyei women prepare, dye, and dry batik

Miao women wearing traditional dress