Longli Oil Painting Grassland With Kids: A Play Day From Guiyang

By 9 August 2026, our children had done several days of the sightseeing my wife and I wanted. They had been into caves, climbed a town wall and walked through city streets. At Longli Oil Painting Grassland, it was our turn to spend the day on things chosen mainly for them.

We went from our Guiyang base with our eight-year-old son, five-year-old daughter and my father-in-law, who was nearly seventy. A slow cable car took us uphill. At the top there was open grassland and a choice of activities; later, sitting in downhill carts, the children found a very different way to finish a day in the hills.

Longli Oil Painting Grassland made a fun day trip from Guiyang, using the metro and ride-hailing services such as Didi. Go for the cable car and activities as much as the scenery. Before buying tickets, check which rides are included, their age and height limits, and whether the weather will affect the ones your children most want to try.

Getting there without changing hotels

Longli took us outside Guiyang, but we still returned to the same hotel. We used the metro for part of the journey and ride-hailing for the rest. Even with the journey home, it felt manageable as a day out.

For navigation, search for Longli Oil Painting Grassland — 龙里油画大草原. We started from northern Guiyang; your connections and journey time will depend on where you stay, so plan from your hotel rather than the city centre.

With five passengers, we generally requested two cars using the Didi app or the Didi mini program in WeChat: my father-in-law travelled with one child, while my wife and I travelled with the other. We entered the same destination for both rides so both cars would take us to the same place. Budget for two fares and agree where to meet for the journey home before anyone goes off to do different activities.

If your children need child seats, arrange them in advance rather than assuming a standard ride will include them.

The cable car made a gentle beginning

The ascent was slow, which suited the start of the day. We could look around as the hillside opened up without asking the children or their grandfather to begin with a climb. At the top, the landscape changed to a broad grassy space with activities spread around it.

There was still walking between activities at the top, so I would leave plenty of time if anyone in the group needs a slower pace.

We also crossed a glass-bottomed bridge together. Looking through the transparent panels at the trees below made the walk an experience in itself, and it was another part of the day we enjoyed as a family.

We chose a few activities instead of trying everything

We spent most of our activity time on grass sliding and riding camels together as a family. After several days of sightseeing, it was nice to spend time on things the children had chosen. We did not try to fit in every activity.

That is how I would choose tickets too: start with the two or three things the children most want to do, then compare the ticket options for those activities. Check the age and height requirements for each activity before paying.

The downhill carts were the memorable finish

Later, partway down the hill, we rode the downhill carts. They have no motor: gravity carries you down the winding road, while you control your speed with the handbrake and steer with the handlebars. After the slow cable car uphill, steering our own way downhill was a much more exciting way to travel.

A little rain arrived towards the end, but the children were still thrilled with the ride. Wet weather can affect whether the carts run, so follow the operator’s instructions and closures. Before queuing, also check whether your child needs to share a cart with an adult.

You can read more about the downhill carts in this 2024 local report on Longli’s summer tourism (in Chinese).

How I would plan around the weather

I would check the forecast and operating notices before travelling, especially if the downhill carts are the main attraction for the children. If their favourite rides are closed, I would move this outing to another day and spend the wet day in Guiyang instead.

Keep rain jackets and a dry change of clothes handy. Bring a light extra layer in case the weather turns cooler, and wear shoes comfortable enough for walking between activities.

If a grandparent is coming along, discuss the waiting as well as the walking. They may enjoy the cable car and scenery but want a break while the children carry on with the rides.

Where Longli fits in a Guiyang family trip

After the caves and waterfalls at Tianhetan and the wall climb and old streets of Qingyan, Longli gave us a day built around the activities the children wanted to try. They had enjoyed the sightseeing too, but it was nice to let them take the lead.

That is where I would put Longli in a family itinerary: after a few sightseeing days, leaving room to move it to another day if the weather affects the rides.

Our seven-day Guiyang itinerary shows how we planned the rest of the week, including the quieter day that followed this one.