Miao and Dong Heartland

A cluster of Miao and Dong villages where southeast Guizhou, northern Guangxi and southwest Hunan meet, world-famous for drum towers, wind-and-rain bridges and Dong Grand Song.

Centered on Qiandongnan in Guizhou and extending to Sanjiang and Rongshui in Guangxi and Tongdao in Hunan, this region is often called the "Miao Frontier and Dong Homeland". Xijiang Thousand-Household Miao Village is the largest Miao village in the world, and Zhenyuan Ancient Town is built along the Wuyang River. The five drum towers of Zhaoxing Dong Village, Basha Miao Village in Congjiang, the Jiabang terraces and the "Dong Grand Song" of Xiaohuang Dong Village are highlights of intangible cultural heritage. The Chengyang Wind-and-Rain Bridge in Chengyang Eight Villages in Sanjiang is a representative piece of Dong architecture, the Miao of Rongshui perform lusheng pipe dances, and Huangdu Dong Village in Tongdao preserves Dong opera. Longli Ancient Town in Jinping is a relic of Ming-dynasty garrison settlement. A common 5–8 day itinerary is Guiyang–Xijiang–Zhenyuan–Zhaoxing–Congjiang–Sanjiang–Guilin, and the Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railway has stations at Congjiang and Sanjiang. Food and lodging in the villages vary greatly in quality. In peak season, popular villages such as Xijiang are crowded, and festival dates follow the lunar calendar, so confirm before you go. This is also a treasure trove for photography and intangible-heritage enthusiasts: Miao silver forging, batik and embroidery, and Dong timber construction techniques can all be experienced on the spot in the villages. We recommend spending a night in a village to take in the lights at dusk and the cooking smoke in the morning mist.

Destinations

Itineraries