Maolan – Karst Lanform Natural Forest in Southern Guizhou Province

​​​Last Update: 5th October 2020

What is Maolan?
Bordering on Guangxi Province and located in Southern Guizhou Province, the Maolan Karst Forest is located some 80 kilometers from Xiaoqikong Scenic Area in Li Bo Area. It offers the largest karst primary forest in the world for visitors to explore. It is also a home to the Buyi, Shui and Yao ethnic minorities.

Maolan Fast Facts

  • Chinese Name: Maolan Guojiaji Ziran Baohuqu (茂兰国家级自然保护区)​
  • Area: 21,285 hectares
    Things to do there: Photography, Hiking, Ethnic Minority Culture Experiences
  • Who visits: Photographers, Nature Lovers, Adventure enthusiasts
  • Time required: 2 x Days
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Interested in visiting Maolan during a Guizhou Tour?

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

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What to expect at Maolan

Maolan Karst Forest is home to more than 500 tree species and 430 vertebrates, including ginkgo, Chinese yew, Nyssaceae, Manglietia aromatica Dandy, bluish green cypress and other 26 endemic species and macaque, South China tiger, black bear, common kestrel, peregrine falcon, silver pheasant, dwarf musk deer, crested serpent eagle, elliot’s pheasant, Chinese merganser, spotted linsang, Libo Triplophysa, and the like. Mao Lan is also a paradise for self-driving visitors, allowing them to drive through the green primary forest.
Maolan has been the settlement for Buyi, Shui and Yao people for hundreds of years. The ethnic minority villages are dotted in Maolan. Visitors can explore these old villages together with the amazing natural beauty, such as karst forest, caves, waterfalls and so on. They can experience the authentic ethnic customs and performances there. Yaogu Buyi Ethnic Minority Village (尧古布依寨) offers visitors a great chance to visit the ancient well-preserved paper-making workshops, wine-making workshops and weaving workshops which still work today. The ancient paper-making, paper-making and weaving methods are applied in these workshops as well.

Best time to visit Maolan

If you are planning to visit Mao Lan for photography and adventure purposes, the best time to visit is from May to October. Especially in summer, Mao Lan is a perfect resort with the green forests, cool caves and waterfalls and streams around.

How to get to Maolan

There is no direct bus from Libo County while Maolan Libo Tourists Center offers buses and small group tours to Maolan Karst Forest. As at 19th June 2019, the admission fee to the bus is 60 CNY per person. Please note that, if you arrive at Maolan Libo Tourists Center after 08:30 or don’t book the seat or the group tour ahead, you have to arrange your own transportation to Maolan.
As Maolan is underdeveloped, there are only a few options.

  • Rent a vehicle from Libo County or Jinchengjiang, Hechi, Nandan in Guangxi to Maolan. These places are not far from Maolan.
  • Take a bus (Route: 贵阳 – 金城江) from Guiyang Bus Station (贵阳客车站) to Jinchengjiang. The Bus stops over at the entrance to Maolan.
  • Take a bus (Route: 荔波 – 金城江) from Libo to Jinchengjiang. The Bus stops over at the entrance to Maolan.
  • The road through Maolan Karst Forest leads to Dushan and Mawei in Guizhou and Hechi and Nandan in Guangxi. If you don’t stay in Guizhou, you could take a train to Jinchengjiang which is closest to Maolan. Then, transfer to a bus to Maolan.

Additional Maolan Travel Advice

  • The network of the mobile service is not available or good in Mao Lan Karst Forest.
  • Because the local government doesn’t want to overdevelop Mao Lan, big tour groups are not allowed to visit Mao Lan while individual travelers are allowed to visit it.
  • Opening hours: 07:00 – 19:00
  • As at 5th October 2020, entrance pricing is 50 CNY per person; insurance fee (not mandatory) is 5 CNY per person; children under 14 years old (14 years old included) and the elder above 60 years old (60 years old included) are free of charge. For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
  • As the attractions in Mao Lan Karst Forest are not concentrated, it is suggested to rent a vehicle to visit it.
  • If interested to explore the primary forest, it is recommended that you invite a local guide to accompany you to discover it. It is easy to get lost in the forest

Interested in visiting Maolan on a Tour?

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