FAST Telescope GuizhouGiant Radio Telescope in West China

​​​Last Update: 5th October 2020

What is FAST Telescope Guizhou?
With a diameter of 500 meters, FAST Guizhou is acclaimed the largest single-aperture telescope in the world. FAST is short for Five hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope. It is located at Dawodang Depression, Jinke Village, Kedu Town, Pingtang Country, Guizhou, surrounded by hundreds of karst hills and natural tiankeng.

FAST Telescope Guizhou Fast Facts

Chinese Name: Guizhou Tianyan (贵州天眼)
Area: 250,000 x square meters
Things to do there: Photography, Telescope, Astronomy, Adventure
Who visits: Photographers, Astronomy Lovers, Adventure Enthusiasts
Time required: 3 – 4 x hours

Interested in visiting FAST Telescope Guizhou on a Guizhou Tour?

Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including FAST Telescope Guizhou, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.

What to expect at FAST Telescope Guizhou

Built in the large Dawodang Depression, FAST Guizhou is larger than the American Arecibo Telescope. The telescope was officially operated on September 25, 2016 and opened to the public the following day. It is applied to observe pulsars in the space. The structure of wire rope nets can change with the movement of celestial bodies, driving 4,450 reflection panel to rotate back and forth to observe the celestial bodies in any direction. Another mission of the huge telescope is to explore dark matter and black holes.

FAST Guizhou is fitted with a viewpoint to appreciate the gorgeous telescope. At the viewpoint, you’ll be shocked at the telescope.

The viewpoint is a 3-layer structure. You can get different experience about the telescope view on different floors of the viewpoint. In addition, the viewpoint overlooks amazing natural views of the karst scenery around. You are required to take the shuttle bus to the bottom of the viewpoint. The journey of the shuttle takes around 3-0 minutes long. You’d need to walk up more than 700 steps to the viewpoint.

With a radio telescope site as the center of the circle, within a radius of 5 kilometers, it is strictly forbidden to set up or use radio stations, and to construct facilities that emit electromagnetic waves. Also, tourists are forbidden to bring any electronic equipment to the viewpoint, including digital cameras, cellphones, smartbands, watches, car keys, ipads, chargers, tablet computers, laptops, intercoms, remote-control units, cigarettes, lighters, matches, knives and scissors.

Astronomy Experience Hall is a great place for young children to explore the related knowledge. You can use your cellphones and cameras in the hall. The hall spreads knowledge of the astronomy through radio experience, active hall, astronomy park for children and astronomy science hall. You can get a little knowledge of astronomy from visual sense, auditory sense and sense of touch.

If interested, you can enjoy amazing science videos on the solar system and the space at the astronomical cinema. The dome of the cinema works as the screen. Meritorious Deeds Museum of Nan Rendong tells contributions to the construction of FAST Guizhou.

Best time to visit FAST Telescope Guizhou

The best time to visit the telescope is in the early morning.

The best months to visit are from April to October.

How to get to FAST Telescope Guizhou

Unfortunately, there is no direct bus from Guiyang. The only option is to rent a vehicle to the area.

Additional FAST Telescope Guizhou Advice

  • Opening hours: 08:30 – 18:00 (The shuttle bus is closed at 16:15)
  • As at 5th October 2020, the pass ticket for the area (including the shuttle bus, Astronomy Experience Hall, the astronomical cinema and the entrance ticket for science guide system ) is 140 CNY per person; children under 1.2m tall (1.2m tall included) with no allocated seat on the shuttle bus and at the cinema are free of charge. For the latest pricing, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
  • It is not suggested that young children, pregnant women, the elder, and those who are suffering from heart diseases and high blood pressure to visit the telescope as it takes about 30 to 60 minutes to hike up to the viewpoint from the bottom.

Interested in visiting FAST Telescope Guizhou?

Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including FAST Telescope Guizhou, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.