Outdoor sports and leisure steal my heart in Guizhou

In the same day, I checked out Longyin mountain, where a team of paragliders will safely guide adventurers through the skies like a bird in flight, overlooking the karst landscape. The panoramic views of Xingyi's rolling hills and meandering rivers are breathtaking, and offer a unique perspective of the city's pristine wilderness. At a lengthy 15 minutes of gliding, you have plenty of time to count mountains, scream until you lose your voice, or ponder your place in the universe. I chose to ask my gliding instructor about his hobbies.

As much as I enjoy heart-pounding action, I also like moments of quiet with nature. This I found while kayaking on the pristine waters of Rulong Bay, a man-made lake that is right out of a movie. I paddled out to the center and took in the lush scenery, feasting my eyes. The air was still and I could hear a fish breaking the water's edge in the distance. If I focused hard enough, I swear I could hear Enya singing for me in the distance.

It's no wonder Xingyi is the home of the 2023 International Conference of Mountain Tourism and Outdoor Sports. The city and its locals exude the energy of outdoorsmanship. Many visitors have arrived this weekend to experience what they live through every day. We should all be so lucky.