Qingyan Ancient Town With Kids: A Wall Climb and a Slower Market Walk

Our children wanted a wall they could climb. At Qingyan Ancient Town, that simple wish did more for their enthusiasm than any explanation I could have given about historic buildings. The wall rose ahead of them, there were steps to tackle, and they wanted to get to the top.

My wife and I visited on 8 August 2026 with our eight-year-old son, five-year-old daughter and my father-in-law, who was close to seventy. We were staying in Guiyang for the week. After the boats and caves of Tianhetan the day before, Qingyan gave us a different sort of outing: a climb, a view, then time in the streets below.

Qingyan worked for our children because we made the town wall the main event and slowed down in the market afterwards. The wall section we walked was not long, but parts were steep. Treat the climb as optional for anyone who finds stairs difficult, rather than assuming an ancient-town stroll will be gentle throughout.

A town wall, with enough adventure for our children

The children had wanted to see the Great Wall. Qingyan’s town wall is a different place, of course, but it gave them a taste of the adventure they had imagined: stone steps, a climb and a view from the top.

They wanted to see where the wall went next. It was lovely to have them keen to keep going, rather than following us from one building to another.

Short does not mean flat

Some stretches had quite steep steps. The children climbed quickly, but we took our time.

If someone in your family finds stairs difficult, make the wall climb optional. Have a look at the steps together and agree where to meet if anyone prefers to stay below.

Wear shoes with good grip and carry only what you need for the day. Allow time for the descent too, especially if the stone is wet. The wall’s many stairs make it a poor route for a pushchair, even one that folds small.

Our route was a climb followed by a change of pace

We climbed the wall, enjoyed the view, and came down by another staircase before wandering through the lively ancient-town market. That order worked well for us. The children had done the part they were most excited about, and we could take our time in the streets below.

I would do the climb first again and leave the market for afterwards. Since we came down by a different staircase, we could carry on exploring rather than retrace our steps. For the ride home, select the entrance where you are actually waiting as the pickup point.

Leave room for the lanes after the view

After coming down, we wandered through the market streets and stone lanes. With no other sight to rush off to, we could stop wherever something caught our attention.

I would leave time for that slower part of the visit rather than add a long list of historic buildings to see inside. The climb and the streets afterwards were enough for us.

The practical details I would settle before leaving Guiyang

For navigation, search for Qingyan Ancient Town — 青岩古镇 in Guiyang’s Huaxi district, then choose the entrance where you want to arrive.

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.

Qingyan or Tianhetan if you only have one day?

Choose Qingyan if your children would enjoy climbing a town wall and wandering through old streets afterwards. You can skip the climb and just explore the town if you prefer. Choose Tianhetan for boat rides, caves and waterfalls. After the cave boat ride there, you can choose a longer cave walk or a short exit.

We enjoyed both outings. The next day, we let the children take the lead at Longli Oil Painting Grassland, with grass sliding and downhill carts. Our Guiyang family itinerary shows how those days fitted together.