Tongdao

A Dong autonomous county where Hunan, Guangxi and Guizhou meet; the Dong villages along the Pingtan River, such as Huangdu and Yutou, and their wind-and-rain bridges are on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, alongside the Danxia landscape of Wanfo Mountain and the Tongdao Turn memorial site.

Tongdao Dong Autonomous County is at the southern tip of Huaihua, Hunan Province, where Hunan, Guangxi and Guizhou meet, bordering Sanjiang in Guangxi and Liping in Guizhou. Over 70% of the population is Dong, and the county is the heart of the '100-li Dong Culture Corridor'. The county seat is Shuangjiang Town, and the sights fall into three areas. First, the cluster of Dong villages along the Pingtan River south of town – Huangdu Dong Culture Village, Yutou, Hengling, Pingtan, Gaobu and more – each with its own drum tower, wind-and-rain bridge and Sa altar; the Yutou ancient building complex and the Pingtan River wind-and-rain bridges are both Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level, and are included in China's World Heritage Tentative List under 'Dong Villages'. Second, Wanfo Mountain northeast of town, a national scenic area of Danxia landforms where peak forests and rock pillars contrast with Dong villages. Third, Xianxi Town northwest of town, where in December 1934 the Central Red Army held the Tongdao Conference at Gongcheng Academy – an event known as the 'Tongdao Turn' – now marked by a memorial hall. In the southwest, the eight villages of Dupo preserve the traditional Dong Grand Song and lusheng culture. The climate is subtropical monsoon: Mar–May brings rapeseed blossoms and fresh greenery, and Sep–Oct golden rice paddies, both ideal for photography; traditional Dong festivals fall around the 8th day of the 4th lunar month, and summer is rainy, so watch out on mountain roads. Getting there: Tongdao Station on the Jiaozuo–Liuzhou Railway is near Xianxi Town, and it's about 2–3 hours by car or bus from Huaihua South Station or from the Guilin direction; Huangdu and Yutou are 15–20 minutes' drive from town, and you can hire a car to link the villages along the Pingtan River. Allow 2 days: one for the Pingtan River villages and bridges, with the song-and-dance show and the 'hundred-family banquet' at Huangdu; another for Wanfo Mountain and the Tongdao Turn Memorial Hall. Dong villages are built of wood, so smoking and open flames are strictly forbidden; respect local customs when entering drum towers and Sa altars, and ask before photographing villagers.

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