Guizhou Ethnic Minorities：Miao, Dong, Bouyei, Shui Minorities

Important Festivals of Miao Ethnic Minority

The most important festivals of Miao are Miao New Year Festival, Lusheng Festival, Sisters’ Meal Festival, Dragon Canoe Festival and Siyueba Festival, etc. During the festivals, visitors a lot of interesting activities with locals, including antiphonal singing, Lusheng dance, dragon boat race, bullfighting, cock fighting, horse racing and other featured activities.

Top Destination in Guizhou to Explore Miao Minority

Kaili, located in Southeast Guizhou, is the best destination to visit the Miao ethnic group. There are many Miao villages like Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Short Shirt Miao Village at Datang, Jidao Long Shirt Miao Village, Upper Langde Miao Village, Shiqiao Miao Village, Taijiang Shidong Miao Village, Matang Gejia Village etc. Extend a little far away to Rong7iang County to visit Baibei Miao Village, Kongshen Miao Village or reach Rongjiang County to explore Biasha Miao Village.

>> Check Top 5 Miao Minority Villages in Guizhou

Famous Tourist Attractions to Explore

Xijiang Miao Villages (西江千户苗寨)

The panoramic scenery of the largest Miao Village in China - Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village is stunning. The village is surrounded by orderly terraced fields, presenting an idyllic landscape to visitors. Travelers can see wooden stilted houses, wind and rain bridges and experience colorful Miao’s singing, dancing and grand festivals. The commercial pedestrian street here sells a wide variety of goods of Miao minority. The most attractive one is the Miao silver ornaments with exquisite workmanship and cheap price.

Upper Langde Miao Villages (朗德上寨)

Comparing with Xijiang Miao Village, Upper Langde Miao Village is more authentic, less developed and crowded village to get a better primitive Miao minority experience. Travelers can see “Long Skirt Miao” and traditional wooden stilted houses, experience hospitable welcome ceremony and primitive way of living of Miao people.

Zhenyuan Ancient Town (镇远古镇)

With more than 20 minorities living harmony at Zhenyuan Ancient Town, it is also being praised as the “World Cultural Protection Circle”. There are a large number of historical architectures, traditional folk houses and ancient wharfs waiting for visitors to explore. Highlights in and around Zhenyuan Ancient Town are including Qinglong Cave, Shiping Mountain, Wuyang River, Tiexi Scenic Area, etc. Besides, visitors can extend their journey to Shidong Town (only 36km away from Zhenyuan Ancient Town, only take less than an hour by car) during Dragon Canoe Festival and the sister festival to experience the fun and bustling scenes.

Dong minority has many important festivals like New Year Festival, Worshiping Ox Festival, New Harvest Festival, Pure Brightness Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival etc. During Dong New Year, locals would make new clothes, clean their houses, make glutinous rice cakes, slaughter pigs, cattle for feasts, and cook the cold dish to sacrifice to ancestors on the eve of the New Year. Dong Song Festival is the Valentine’s Day for Dong people. During this day, young men and women dressed up neatly, invited few friends and headed to Gaobei Singing Field together. Unique antiphonal songs, love songs, folk songs perpetually echoed in the valley. Young men and women would make new friends and check with old friend during the festival, alternately singing intoxicating love songs until the next day.

Top Destination in Guizhou to Explore Dong Minority

Congjiang, Rongjiang and Liping, located in the southeast part of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, are three top counties to appreciate the primitive Dong ethnic villages, culture and local traditional life. You may visit the largest Dong Village in Southeast Guizhou - Zhaoxing Dong Village or head to the idyllic Huanggang Dong Village in Liping County. Pay a visit to the hometown of grand song of Dong people at Xiaohua Dong Village in Congjiang County and continue to explore the primative village with mysterious legend in Zhanli Dong Village. If you have a tour plan to Rongjiang County, don’t miss the hidden pearl Dali Dong Village, it will take you back to hundreds years before. Check Top 5 Dong Minority Villages in Guizhou >>

Famous Tourist Attractions to Explore

Zhaoxing Dong Village (肇兴侗寨)

Zhaoxing Dong Village, located in the southeast of Liping County, is one of the largest Dong villages in China and has been praised as "The First Village of Dong Township". Till 2012, it has more than 1,100 households and 6,000 residents. The village is built in a mountain basin. Two streams converge to form a small river passing through the village. Row upon row of stilted buildings are well-arranged in the village. Houses are all built of cedarwood, the hard top is covered with blue roofing tiles, simple but practical. Zhaoxing Dong Village is famous for its drum tower group, which has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records and is honored as the "Hometown of Drum Tower Culture and Art".

They celebrate festivals as the Han people, but they have their own festivals to celebrate on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month, the Eighth day of the fourth lunar month, the sixth day of the sixth lunar month etc.

Buyi Cultural Festival (The sixth day of the sixth lunar month) is an important traditional festival for Bouyei people, also known as the local’s “Little New Year”. When the festival is approaching, each village begins to kill chickens and pigs, make triangular flags with white paper and animals’ blood, then plug the flag in the crop field to prevent locusts coming and eating the crops. According to the custom, men, women and children of the Bouyei ethnic group will wear national costumes and take glutinous rice, meat, water and wine to the hillside outside the village to “hide” (“hide” here means celebrate, many amusement activities are prepared that day).

Famous Tourist Attractions to Explore

Anshun - Huangguoshu Waterfalls(黄果树瀑布)

Huangguoshu Waterfall is located in the upper reaches of the Baishui River in Zhenning Buyi and Miao Autonomous County, 45km southwest of Anshun City. There are overall 18 waterfalls of different styles, robust, bizarre, dangerous and shapely, forming a huge waterfall "family". Huangguoshu Waterfall Scenic Area is mainly composed of three parts - Doupotang Waterfall Scenic Area, Huangguoshu Waterfall, and Tianxingqiao Scenic Area. Besides you can also pay a visit to attractions nearby, such as Longgong Cave, Tianlong Tunpu Ancient Town, etc.

Seven Small Arches Scenic Area in Libo (荔波小七孔景区)

Located 30km south from Libo County, Seven Small Arches Scenic area is surrounded by peculiar mountains and elegant water. Wandering around the vigorous and stylish scenic spot, visitors may wonder whether they are in a splendid landscape painting or in the real life. Seven Small Arches is a national 5A tourist attraction, being praised as the representative for Karst Landscape in South China and one of the most beautiful places in the world. Besides, visitors can continue to visit the “Arch of Triumph of the East” - the Seven Big Arches Scenic Area.