Xijiang Miao Village & Zhenyuan

The northern route of Qiandongnan: the sea of lights at Xijiang Thousand-Household Miao Village, the lusheng ground at Upper Langde, the thousand-year-old town of Zhenyuan on the Wuyang River, and the World Heritage Site of Yuntai Mountain in Shibing.

Xijiang and Zhenyuan form the core of the northern route in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou, with the prefectural seat of Kaili as the transit hub. To the south, in Leishan County, Xijiang Thousand-Household Miao Village is the largest Miao settlement in the world; its night view of tens of thousands of lights is the calling card of Qiandongnan. Nearby are Upper Langde Miao Village, the silversmith village of Kongbai, Nanhua Miao Village and Leigong Mountain, the highest peak in the Miaoling range. To the northeast, the ancient town of Zhenyuan lies in an S-shaped bend of the Wuyang River, with the Qinglong Cave temple complex built against the cliff and boats cruising through karst gorges. Between the two, Shibing has the World Natural Heritage Site of Yuntai Mountain and rafting on the Shanmu River; Huangping has the old town of Jiuzhou; Shidong in Taijiang is the main venue of the Miao Sisters' Festival; and southwest of Kaili are the ancient town of Xiasi and Danzhai Wanda Town. Climate: subtropical monsoon and humid, with no scorching summer or severe winter, but plenty of rain. March–October are all good for visiting; summer is the season for cool escapes and rafting, while the Sisters' Festival in the third lunar month and the Miao New Year around November are liveliest. Getting there: Kaili South station on the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway is about 40 minutes from Guiyang, and a tourist bus runs from Kaili South to Xijiang in about 1 hour; Zhenyuan station is on the same line, about 30 minutes from Kaili South; Kaili Huangping Airport has flights. Suggested length: 3–4 days, with one night in Xijiang for the night view, one night in Zhenyuan for the old town after dark, and one more day for Yuntai Mountain in Shibing or the Wuyang River. Notes: Xijiang and Zhenyuan are crowded on holidays, so book accommodation early; ask permission before photographing people in Miao villages; mountain roads are slippery in the rain.

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