Kaili is the seat of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in southeast Guizhou and a mainly Miao, multi-ethnic city. It is the usual base for visiting Miao and Dong villages in the surrounding hills, and it connects by road to Zhaoxing and the Guangxi border.
| Area | 1,616.51 km² at the end of 2014; built-up area 67 km², second largest in Guizhou after the provincial capital |
|---|---|
| Population | 656,100 in 2014, of whom 480,000 lived in the urban area |
| Name | from Miao: “kai” for the Mulao people and “li” for field, “the Mulao people’s field” |
| City status | county-level city from 1984; prefecture seat since 1956 |
| Climate | humid subtropical; annual mean about 16.1 °C |
What Kaili is
Kaili sits on the sloping terraces east of the Yunnan-Guizhou plateau. Chinese Wikipedia notes that it was called “little capital” in the Ming and Qing periods. A Ming garrison was founded here in 1381, and the Qing extended direct rule in 1732. In 1914 the area was renamed Lushan because the old name Qingping was shared with another county, and Kaili became the prefecture seat in 1956. The Kaili county became a city in 1983, and it was formally founded as a city in January 1984. It is crossed by the Qingshui, Chong’an and Bala rivers.
As a base for the villages
The Miao, Bouyei, Dong and other peoples of the surrounding villages hold markets and festivals through the year; dates change, so ask your guide for the current calendar. Zhaoxing is a Dong town in neighboring Liping County, and Chengyang lies across the Guangxi border; see our Zhaoxing and Chengyang pages. We have not verified Kaili’s current rail and hotel options, so confirm them when you book.
Planning Kaili with Absolute Asia Tours
Absolute Asia Tours has planned private trips in Asia since 1989. For Kaili that means a driver and a guide who can explain the villages and markets, with hotels booked in advance. We’re rated 4.8 out of 5 across about 900 traveler reviews. See our China tours or tell us your dates.
Sources (read in Chinese, Chinese Wikipedia): 凯里市. Last checked November 2026.
Kaili: FAQ
Where is Kaili?
In southeast Guizhou, as the seat of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture.
What does Kaili mean?
In Miao it is read as “the Mulao people’s field”.
How big is Kaili?
About 1,616.51 square kilometers and 656,100 people in 2014, with 480,000 in the urban area.
Why visit Kaili?
It is the base for the Miao and Dong villages and markets nearby.
How many days do you need in Kaili?
One or two nights, depending on how many villages you visit.
Photo: Popolon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Xijiang Miao village near Kaili.
