Introduction of Kaili

As the capital of the Qian Dongnan Autonomous Prefecture of the Miao and Dong nationalities in eastern Guizhou, Kaili is the gateway to some of the most fascinating minority villages you're likely to encounter in China. About 65% of the prefecture's population is Miao, clustered to the east and northeast of Kaili. The Dong are to the southeast. This entire region hosts more than 100 festivals each year, with the greatest concentration around February/March and October/November, making these excellent months to visit. Be warned that travel around the Miao areas can be difficult due to its narrow, winding roads, but this is often light-years ahead of traveling through some of the Dong region's backwaters, where a farmer's truck or your own feet might be the only means of navigating pothole-ridden mud paths. In truth, half the fun of traveling in this part of the country is getting there in the first place, so bring your sense of adventure and don't forget the seat cushion.

The main attractions and ethnic villages in Qian Dongan Prefecture

Xijiang Miao Village

Xijiang is 37 kms northeast of Leishan County and 81 kms from Kaili. Xijiang, the biggest and most typical Miao village in China, has 1,080 households of above 6000 people. It is known as the 1,000-household village. The Baishui River that has its source in the primitive forest area of the main peak of the Miaoling Ridge cuts the Miao village into two. A continuous row of houses spreads in line of the hilly area. These houses are unique and grand under sunshine and verdant trees. Xijiang is also the home of Miao songs and dances. Many festivals are grand in scale and rich in content, such as the Lusheng Festival and Celebration of the Miao New Year. The rural scenery and simple and unsophisticated residences comprise the folk customs. Xijiang has been turned into an architectural and foreign tourists, particularly anthropologists , people in architectural circles and photographers are glad to visit.

Zhaoxing Dong Village

Zhaoxing is located on the dam encircled by hills,72 kms south of the Liping County seat. The Zhaoxing River with clear water passes through the village. The village is divided into five natural sections. Each section has a clan and each clan has a drum-tower. Zhaoxing is the biggest Dong village with over 1,000 Dong households in China. Houses of the village are typical wooden structures with black tiles. The five rarely seen wooden drum-towers in different postures, four grand wooden bridges and five stages have absorbed the essence of the Dong architectural art. Zhaoxing, a typical representative of the Dong villages, is the home of festival, songs and dances. Grand festival include the Dong New Year, Eating New Grain Festival and Sama Festival. There are a variety of Dong songs, the most popular one being the grand opera of the Dongs. Zhaoxing is also the venue where Dong operas are performed.

Langde Miao Village

Located 17 kms north of Leishan County, at the foot of a hill and beside a stream, Langde Village is one of the noted Miao villages in the prefecture that opened to the outside world, The village has three village gates. Houses supported by wooden pillars with a suspension roof and twisted corridors are built on the mountain slope. Most wooden buildings were built from 1616-1911,Five streets lead to the village. Two public recreation centers---Flute Center with the ground paved with cobbler, a small cultural museum of the Miaos and the former residence of an insurrectionary general of the Qing Dynasty were built in the village.

Tonggu Miao Village

Tonggu Village in Xiasi Town, 24.3 kms east of the Majiang County seat and 4 kms from the Xiasi outlet of an expressway, is a Miao village. A rural highway leads directly to the village. Paintings made by the Miao women and children are known in the world. Many women and about 100 children love painting in the village. Gouache skills have been adopted for the painting and the daily life of the Miaos has been applied for the subject matter, Their paintings of free sketches and exaggeration are imbued with a strong smock of the features of the Miaos. They are loved by domestic and foreign art circles and tourists. The village has been given the title of the “Home of the Chinese Modern Folk Paintings” by the Ministry of Culture.

Basha Miao Village

Basha is a unique and noted Miao village under the jurisdiction of Bingmei Town of Congjiang Coungjiang County. It is 7.5kms from the county town and under its jurisdiction are four natural villages of about 2000 people. Basha is a bold and powerful tribe. Men with roers rifles and daggers have the skill of hitting a willow twig 100 yards away by an arrow. What most strange is that all the men wear their hair in a bun. The scene is unique for the Miao in the country. In the village are ancient trees towering into the sky and passage ways covered by the shade of trees.

Yintan Dong village

Yintan is 20 kms north of the Congjiang County town, with a small stream passing through. The village with 354 households of 1700 people is surrounded by green hills. Chinese yews are growing in great numbers at the village gate, houses supported by wooden pillars have the hill at the back and the river in front, and drum-towers stand among them. The ancient customs here are primitive, simple and unsophisticated and the village is know for its textile and marriage culture. Main festivals include the Dong New Year, the Sixth Day of the Sixth Month Festival and the Harvest Festival. 

Zhanli Dong Village

Zhanli is a small Dong village under the Gaozheng Township of Congjiang County. No highway has been built to the village surrounded by hills. This village with over 700 people has kept three records. In the past 50 years its natural population growth rate, the incidence of crimes and the per-capita cultivated area are No. 1 in the province. As a saying goes, in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) a villager named Wu Gongli decided to practice family planning in the village. Each couple could only have one son and one daughter. It is said that the village attained the target by way of medicinal herbs.

Xiaohuang Dong village

Composed of Xiaohuang, Gaohuang and Xinquan villages, Xiaohuang, under the jurisdiction of Gaozeng Township of Congjiang County, is 20 kms from the Congjiang county town. A rural highway leads to Xiaohuang. The Dong is a nationality that regards singing as their life. Xiaohuang is a case in point. “Food can preserve one’s health and songs can nourish heart.” It is the philosophical creed of the Xiaohuang people. Songs are sung fro everything and everywhere, including songs for advice, etiquette and custom, cow-leg songs and song for toasts. The most famous one is the grand song of the Dongs. The Xiaohuang song ensemble made a stir in Paris in July 1996. There are 26 fold song teams in Xiaohuang. The provincial cultural department and the Ministry of Cultures granted the village the title of “Home of the Dong songs” and “Home of the Chinese Folk Arts.”

Chejiang Dong Village

The village is 2.5kms north of the Rongjiang county town. It faces the lucid and beautiful Chejiang River. The three villages are tucked away among 150 high ancient banyans. Of them 38 banyans are as high as 20 meters, with a six-mete bust and a tress age of over 300 years. The intertwined banyans are indeed a splendid sight.  The village with 800 households are the place where the standard Dong language is spoken in the southern Dong area. The Sama Festival (Giving worship to the Granny, Dong’s Goddess) held every year is known far and wide.

Chejiang Drum Tower:

The 21-storey drum tower in Chejiang, built in the first half of the 19th century and reconstructed in 1891, is full of the local tint. Chejiang is also a noted top-notch water melon producer in China.

Nanhua Miao Village:

Under the jurisdiction of Sankeshu Township of Kaili City, Nanhua, situated at the food to the Miaoling Ridge on the bank of the Bala River, 20 minutes by bus from Kaili and the outlet of the Expressway of Sankeshu Town, is one of the reputed Miao stockade villages in Qiandongnan Prefecture. Many tourists visited the place. Nanhua is encircled by towering old trees and its houses supported by wooden pillars are built along the hill. Roads of the village are paved with cobbles. Its grand welcoming ceremony, simple and unsophisticated, warm and unique song and dance performances are will received. Nanhua has constructed two flute performing arenas with local characteristics, one top-notch embroidery museum of the Miao and the Miao-style holiday inn on the river bank, offering tourist accommodation and services with a unique Miao style.

Tongan Dong Village

It is an ecological museum jointly erected by China and Norway. The Dong village in Zhaoxing Township of Liping County with an elevation of 935 meters is five kms from Dazha Village in the west and 75 kms from the Liping County seat. A countryside highway leads to the village. There are 160 households of 800 Dong people in Tang’an. Encircled by rice fields, green trees and hills,the village is situated at a mountain slope. No records have been registered for its history. Tang’an is gifted for the village gate,a drum-tower,ancient graveyards,wells. Water-powered rollers, a granary, ancient stone paths and scattered houses projecting over water,thus creating a harmony and perfection of nature and humanities of the Dong.

Zhenyuan Old Town

Zhenyuan county is the second group famous town for its history and culture in china. It's located in the east of Guizhou Province. Before it was the central of politics, economic, military and culture in the east of Guizhou. In the old book, it was said that if you want to go Yunnan and Guizhou, you must keep Zhenyan well. Here it has so many mountains and streams. In the east, it is the large gate of Hunan province, and the road to Dian-Qian in the west. It is not only the post road between capital and Dian-Qian, but also the southern country silk road from Central Plains to West Asia and East Asia. It has 22 minority nationality, such as Dong people, Miao people, TOU people...

These minority nationalities left huge folk custom culture. The old gross of construction of Qinglong Cave is standing by the side of beautiful Wuyang River. The stone streets take the people remote ancient dynasty instead of the modern civilization. Many minority nationality people's houses look like to tell the old stories. The old Wei Town Wsll(the Great Wall in the south) is still guarding the Zhenyua County like a huge dragon. Because it's special and important place, it was the place which the businessmen often gathered. The famous city for its history and culture not only has long history, but also it has many specific nationality cultures. It is named the World Custom Culture Protection Circle by the Chinese tourism experts. Here it has rich culture, and you can visit the beautiful scenery.

Wuyang River

Lying in Zhenyuan and Shibing counties, the national scenic area consists of Zhuwan Gorge in Shibing and the Three Gorges in Zhenyuan and extends 50 kilometers. Wuyang River is famous for it picturesque mountain scenes and crystal-clear water. It flows among mountains in eastern Guizhou, creating secluded caves, gurgling springs, rugged rocks and spectacular waterfalls.

Climate of Kaili

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