One step ahead of the crowd to search for the secret realm of clouds
Once a year, the rice fields in Zhaoxing, Guizhou turn yellow! This golden ocean in southeastern Guizhou usually matures around the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the locals will complete the harvest before October. If you want to enjoy the beauty of the terraced fields, you must seize the opportunity. The convenience of high-speed rail has also made this the largest Dong village in southeastern Guizhou a first choice for many travelers to explore.
Zhaoxing
This is the largest Dong village in southeastern Guizhou and the most expensive Dong village in southeastern Guizhou. Due to the convenience of high-speed rail, many travelers take Zhaoxing as the first stop to visit the Nandong area. The resort-type Zhaoxing can indeed serve as a comfortable starting point for the journey, and it can also arouse your curiosity to explore more curiosity original ecological villages.
Zhaoxing is embedded in an east-west valley. A river runs through the whole village. The village is divided into drum towers. Formed the best coordinates for positioning, eating, drinking and having fun. Generally speaking, it is more appropriate to stay here for 2 to 3 days.
On the first day
visit the Dong Village and enjoy the song and dance performance at night
Don’t linger on the main street of the scenic spot all the time, Zhaoxing Dong Village is worth spending half a day to enjoy slowly. Five drum towers and five flower bridges are strung together by the gurgling river, and it is possible to go upstream from the artificially repaired gate of the scenic spot to enter the unadorned and charming pastoral scenery.
Xizhaimen
The gate of Zhaoxing Dong Village itself is a classic scene – there is a small terraced field just in front of the five flower bridges and bridge pavilions, and a waterwheel was added intimately. The best films in spring and autumn. Don’t rush into the village, pay attention to the signs behind you, there is a viewing platform facing the gate of the village, when you climb up, you can clearly see a drum tower standing in the village. A standard photo of Zhaoxing.
Dong Culture Exhibition Center
No matter how tight the schedule is, don’t miss this rich and interesting museum. As an exhibition center for tourists to systematically understand the Dong people, it not only has a complete range of contents, but also presents some stunning exhibitions of international standards from time to time.
Following a clear guide, you can experience every aspect of Dong society—history, beliefs, customs, architecture, clothing, music, food, and more. The display method is also very special. For example, the video of Dong opera is placed in a real-scale stage, and the food exhibition hall directly presents a “long table meal”. You can also see the ancient originals of the “Kuan Yue” (the legal contract of the village), the exquisite model of the drum tower, the authentic Dong jewelry, and finally, you can bring a headset to listen to the touching song The Beauty of Zhu Lang Niang.
There are also many pictures and texts about the villages around Zhaoxing in the corridor, as well as introductions to the cultural customs and festivals of the Dong ethnic group, which provide an excellent reference for you to plan your next itinerary. If you feel that simply watching is not enough, you can go to the museum office to hire a local guide for free. These local Dong girls will tell you more vivid stories.
Flower Bridge and Drum Tower
Turn left and enter the main road of the stockade, and you can see Xintuan Drum Tower in a few steps. This is the tallest drum tower in the whole village. It is easy to see girls embroidering the soles of their shoes and singing at night. With its back facing it, there are two symmetrical stages, and the lower level has been transformed into a noodle restaurant. Both of them taste good, so you can rest here. Continue to move forward, and on the right is the Zhituan Drum Tower. Its shape is different from that of ordinary drum towers. It is said that it is to avoid fire, so there are two ponds in front of it. Go back to the main road, cross the Zhituan Flower Bridge from the side road next to the stage on the right, and stroll along the river. This section is very quiet, and most of the time, you can only hear the sound of cloth beating one after another.
The next thing you see is the Boxer Drum Tower, walk across the Huaqiao, cross the main street, and at the end is the Lituan Drum Tower. This is the first drum tower in Zhaoxing. It was built in the 17th century and has the largest stage. Cross its flower bridge from the left side. This area has a special atmosphere of life. Going along the river, on the other side is the Rentuan Drum Tower. It is the shortest drum tower in the village. You can use the flower bridge next to it and the stage together.
day two
Whether by car or on foot, Tang’an Dong Village on the top of the mountain is a must-visit stop in Zhaoxing tourist areas, especially for those travelers who are tired of ordinary scenic spots.
This “museum without walls” is funded by the Norwegian government and aims to maintain and continue traditional features and customs. Therefore, the people, objects and scenery of the entire stockade are all part of the eco-museum, and the showroom with a ticket of 5 yuan is not necessary enter.
Few villages of the Dong ethnic group regard the top of the mountain at an altitude of 935 meters as their home. The reason why Tang’an people choose this place is because of the clear spring. You can find this Tang’an people’s mother well next to the Drum Tower. It is made of fluted bluestone, shaped like a water scoop, hence the name “scoop well”.
Facing the direction of Zhaoxing, the magnificent Tang’an terraced fields are also the signature landscape. The scenery changes throughout the year, and the sea of clouds is like a fairyland in the early morning. There are many viewing platforms in Tang’an Village where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery, and on the terraces of some restaurants, you can enjoy a double feast of visual and taste.
day three
In the mountainous area south of Zhaoxing, there are several small and quiet Dong villages. There is a local saying that “eight villages and one mountain”, the eight villages include Zhaoxing, Jilun, Tang’an, Xiage Shangzhai, Xiazhai, Dengjiang, Jitang and Shangdiping, and one mountain is Sasui Mountain. In fact, among these stockades, there are also small but exciting small stockades such as Laima, Zailiu, and Pingle. If you are physically strong and have plenty of time, you may wish to take a hike on “Bazhai and One Mountain”. Zhaoxing Bazhai One Mountain (short-term)
Starting point: Zhaoxing
End point: Tang’an, Dengjiang
Time required: half a day
Difficulty Level: Beginner
These are two independent routes centered on Zhaoxing, walking eastward to Tang’an, or westward to Jitang and Dengjiang. Tang’an Road passes through forests and villages, and finally overlooks the endless terraced fields, 4 kilometers one way, and has built a flat stone road; in the large-scale Jitang and Dengjiang, you can find cultural relics of the Dong nationality such as the Kianyue Stele. 3.5 km one way. Both routes can choose to go by car, return on foot, or can be combined with other routes.
Route 1: Zhaoxing – Xiamen – Tang’an (3 hours)
It is recommended to take the shuttle bus to Tang’an and then walk back to Zhaoxing one way. It is easier to go down the mountain, and you can enjoy the view of the terraced fields all the way~
This line starts from the small road next to the VIP building of Zhaoxing Hotel (there is a sign), and it has been going up until about 1 hour to Zhangong Temple. This is a small building similar to a mountain temple. The nearby Dong people will come here to make a wish. If the wish is fulfilled, a votive pillar will be erected in front of the temple gate to express their gratitude.
It takes another 15 minutes to reach the Xiage Dong Village, which is a village on the hillside with 4 drum towers. There is a pond on the roadside for the Bullfighting Pond, which is the busiest center in Zhaoxing during the Clay Figure Festival. After crossing Xiage all the way through the fields, we arrived at Tang’an in less than an hour.
Route 2: Zhaoxing – Jitang – Dengjiang (3 hours)
This route is in the opposite direction of the Tang’an Line. Walking 100 meters out of the Xizhai Gate, there is a road going up the mountain. Circling up along the road, you can see the panorama of Zhaoxing on the way. Walking along the labor trail of the locals, there are paddy fields along the way.
After half an hour, you can see the gate of Jitang. Jitang is divided into upper and lower villages, and there are 3 drum towers in total. Among them, the drum tower in the lower village is the most spectacular. It is supported by 16 large fir trees and forms a harmonious picture with the pond beside it.
After walking 200 meters after leaving the Jitang, the green pines on the roadside are tall and straight, and you can see two old and new Dong nationality monuments. After walking another 600 meters, you can see the Wulong Hall. This temple with a lot of incense is full of pennants presented by good men and women. If you go further, you will be Dengjiang.
Lorraine Bazaar
Luoxiang Market is held 6 times a month, on the third or sixth day of the lunar calendar. Recommended for those who are bored in Zhaoxing. The biggest attraction here is the old man’s wrinkles and pipes, and the women’s bun. On the 1 yuan of the fourth set of RMB, the Dong girl with a strange bun is from Luoxiang.
Unfulfilled
If you still feel unfulfilled, you might as well come to Jiabang to experience the unique flavor of Qiandongnan outside the Dong Village. The terraced wonderland of Jiabang was once thought to cleanse the eyes, lungs and mind.
The four-season scenery of the terraced fields changes with the solar terms of farming. Watering starts from April to early May. The probability of taking pictures of the sea of clouds is the highest in May. In late September, the terraced fields are full of golden colors, and they are the most photogenic before the harvest in October. Of course, these two periods also need to deal with all kinds of troubles in the peak season.
The good news is that the Jiabang terraced fields are still free. The terraced fields are huge in scale and consist of three villages. From the near and far from the entrance of the scenic spot, there are three villages: Dangtuo, Jiaye, and Jiache. A road up the mountain connects them. . The terraced fields are also spread along the road, with a total length of about 9 kilometers. The scenery is more concentrated in the section from Jiaye to Jiache.
Now the shuttle bus can take you to the highest car village, which means you can enjoy the scenery from the car (on the left). If you have enough energy, you can also get off the bus early and explore the entire route on foot.
travel tips
1. From the high-speed railway Congjiang Station, which is only 5 kilometers away from Zhaoxing Dong Village, to Zhaoxing, there is a shuttle bus to and from Zhaoxing Scenic Area every day outside the station. It is recommended to arrive directly by high-speed rail.
2. There are several direct buses to Zhaoxing from Liping Bus Station and Congjiang Bus Station every day.
3. At present, the whole area of Qiandongnan Prefecture is a normalized prevention and control area. All people entering Guizhou from outside the province must make a personal health declaration through the “Guizhou Health Code” before traveling, and hold a nucleic acid negative certificate within 48 hours. Those who entered Guizhou without the outbreak of the epidemic are recommended to complete a nucleic acid test within 24 hours after arriving in Guizhou. Those entering Guizhou in low-risk areas will implement “two inspections in three days” after arriving in Guizhou.
Comments