Dong People's Village
» Guiyang, Gui Zhou

肇兴侗寨

72 km south of the county town of Liping, the village is seated in the plains surrounded by green mountains. The Zhaoxing River flows through the village. The largest Dong village in China boasts five Drum Towers, the symbol of the Dong minority people. The houses are typical pile dwelling with roofs of black tiles. Many of the town's inhabitants continue to wear traditional clothing and speak only their native Dong language.

How about the climate here

Zhaoxing has a sub-tropical monsoon climate, at an elevation of 410 meters. It's rainy and humid throughout the year.

Zhaoxing River

The Zhaoxing River runs through the village and divides it into two sides. The water in the river is quite shallow and remarkably clear, with the rocks at the bottom clearly visible. Over centuries, the river has had a nurturing effect on the remarkable local culture. The locals can still be seen daily, clustered beside the river washing their rice, vegetables, and even their clothes

Why do visit

Surrounded by lush fields and hills, Zhaoxing is a small oasis and well worth your visit. A lively, traditional Dong Minority village, it boasts traditional wooden structures, especially a remarkable total of five Drum Towers. Many of the town's inhabitants continue to wear traditional clothing and speak only their native Dong language.

Drum Towers

The Drum Tower is the symbol of the Dong minority people. There are five Drum Towers in Zhaoxing Village, symbolizing five different family clans. They were designed by local amateur architects. The whole complex is supported by timbers, no nails or rivets are used at all in the construction. The fact that all drum tower floors are odd-numbered is derived from the tradition in Dong numerology that odd numbers are associated with good fortune and happiness.

The Dong people in Zhaoxing are all surnamed Lu. According to an old man, the head of the Dong people in Zhaoxing divided the people into five groups in order to make administration easier. The five towers represent benevolence, justice, courtesy, wisdom and faith.

The umbrella-shaped tower is also said to be an auspicious building that protects all Dong people. Individuals must take a drink of the water in the well in front of the tower before death. Only by drinking the water can an individual's spirit join his ancestors. If a person fails to drink from the well before death, their spirit will be left alone after death. Most local people believe this legend to a certain degree.

Theater Stages

Theater stages are supplementary elements to the drum tower. A theater stage will be found wherever there is a drum tower. One can occasionally encounter colorful local shows performed at these theater stages during important local events.

Flower bridges

Similar to the five towers, there are five bridges in Zhaoxing. Actually, the bridge is more of a building across the river, as most bridges are covered with pavilions. The bridges have earned the name "flower bridges" because of the exquisite sculptures that cover them. On a raining day, to sit in the bridge pavilion and chat with friends is one of the most pleasurable experiences.

Diaojiao Lou

On both sides of the bridges, you can find the houses of local people called diaojiao lou (houses built along the river). Diaojiao Lou in Zhaoxing features a public passage on the ground floor. People live in the houses built along the passage. With these passages and the five pavilion bridges, people can walk from one end of the village to the other without ever being exposed to the elements on a rainy day.

Taking part in local activities

Zhaoxing village is also a cradle of Dong festivals and dances. The important Dong festivals include Dong New Year, the New Harvest Festival, Sama Festival and so on. There are many kinds of Dong song and dance, among which the Grand Song (Dage in Chinese) is the best known. Zhaoxing is also the place where Dong people gather to perform the Dong drama every year.

Enjoy eating

Here, you have chance to enjoy local snacks and specialties, for example, Bamboo-root, Rongjiang Melon, Rongjiang Mutton, Rongjiang Bintang Orange, Batik, Embroidery, Liping Luohua Chopsticks, Leishan Yingqiu Tea, etc.

Something to suggest

The annual average temperature here is 57.2F-65.3F. In July the average temperature is 77F, in January the average temperature is 41F. So, spring, summer and autumn are all good for it. Besides, please take raincoat or umbrella, sunbonnet, sunglass, and suntan oil in summer. And, there are several places near Zhaoxing worth visiting - Kaili, Liping, Zhenyuan and Huangping. Local buses are available to travel from place to place.

Attractions around » Guiyang, Gui Zhou

Natural Scene

Natural Scene

Historical Site

Historical Site

Cultural Site

Cultural Site

Shopping & Leisure

Shopping & Leisure

  Weather

  1. When is the best time to travel to Guiyang?
  2. Are there any travel tips about weather?

  Shopping

  1. What good souvenirs can I buy there?

  Travel

  1. Travel tips for you to Huangsuoshu Waterfall on best time

  Customs

  1. What are some interesting festivals in Guiyang?
  2. Does Guizhou have a lot of ethnic groups there?
  3. Some customs about the Miaos

  Other Hints

  1. Some warnings about hotels
  2. Electricity

  • Does Guiyang rain a lot?

    Guiyang has a pleasant moist subtropical climate with ample rainfall. It is neither hot in summer nor too chilly in winter. Guiyang is lucky as much as it does not suffer sandstorms and the pleasant climate makes it a cozy city in which to live.


  • Are there any travel tips about weather?

    Whether for escaping from summer heat or winter cold, Guiyang is definitely a good destination.

    However, due to the changeable weather on the Yungui Plateau where Guizhou is located, it is recommended that you take rain wear along with you and a folding umbrella is an asset! In addition, temperatures in the morning and the evening can often be rather low, so a windproof coat is necessary. The strong radiation from the sun means that you will also need our sun glasses and a sun hat - and don't forget your suntan lotion!


  • What good souvenirs can I buy there?

    Some special local products like traditional art works, or local food are decent gifts for you friends and relatives.


  • Travel tips for you to Huangsuoshu Waterfall on best time

    July and August is the best time to visit Huangguoshu Waterfall. During this period of time, there is a rich amount of water, making magnificent scenery. You can not appreciate such scenes during the lack-of-water period. An umbrella is suggested when you go to the waterfall, due to the giant size of the waterfall, you will be soaked wet without it.


  • What are some interesting festivals in Guiyang?

    Liu Yue Liu literarily means a date, June 6. Actually it is a festival held on the sixth day of the sixth Chinese lunar month, hence the name. This festival is an important day for Buyi people to worship the cook's god and the mountain god.

    Si Yue Ba is held annually on the eighth day of the lunar month. On this day, large numbers of Miao people put on their beautiful costumes and congregate in the center area of Guiyang City to celebrate this great festival by playing the Lusheng and flute, singing antiphonal songs and dancing.

    Di Xi is a form of local drama. It is held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month at Huaxi by Buyi People and other minority groups. The performers put on masks and costumes and engage in dancing and singing. Generally the performance tells a story of a battle or the loyalty between friends of ancient times


  • Does Guizhou have a lot of ethnic groups there?

    Guizhou is a multi-region province. Apart from Han, there are about 17 other ethic groups that live here, such as Miao, Buyi, Dong, Yi, Shui, Hui, Zhuang, Yao, Man, Bai, Mongolia, Qiang and Tu.

    We suggest that you 'do as the romans do' when you go to visit Guizhou, because there are a lot of customs and taboos in the ethnic groups. Also respect their tradition to avoid conflict.


  • Some customs about the Miaos

    The Miaos usually keep open doors and are fond of drinking. Most of them can make home-made alcohol. Shaojiu is the most common alcohol. During a meal, the host might want his guest to drink some alcohol, if they refuse to drink, the host will not be happy. If you really can't drink, then please tell the host before the meal starts.


  • Some warnings about hotels

    Hotels in small towns such as Rongjiang and Congjiang are of significantly lower standard. Heating is sometimes not available and western style toilets usually unavailable.


  • Electricity

    The electricity used in China is 220 volt AC. Many middle and high-class hotel wash rooms have transformer plugs for electric shavers and hair dryers, but it is better to be prepared with an adapter plug.


Deeply hidden in the dense mountains, with ancient wooden architecture, century-old practices, hospitable locals and the fertile terraced fields, Dong People's Village in Zhaoxing City is the largest and oldest Dong village worldwide.

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