Qianlingshan Park, 1.5 kilometres from the city centre, is where Guiyang actually lives — a forested limestone hill with walking paths, a working Buddhist monastery at the top, and a resident macaque population that has made the park their territory. It is the best single park in any provincial capital in southern China and it is genuinely good, not just good by the modest standards of provincial parks.
Hongfu Temple at the summit is a working Qing dynasty monastery with incense, monks, and prayer halls that are busy with local worshippers on weekends and festival days. The temple was founded in 1672 and has been continuously active since. The climb from the gate to the temple takes about 30 minutes at a moderate pace, following stone steps through the tree canopy. The tea gardens partway up serve decent tea at modest prices and are a good place to rest. From the summit, the view over Guiyang stretches in every direction — useful for orienting yourself in a city that can feel confusing at street level.