Best Guizhou Villages | Top 10 Ethnic Minority Villages in Guizhou

Panoramic View of Xijiang Miao Village

Miao Girls' Performance at Xijiang Miao Village

Xijiang Miao Village, composed of five natural villages, is the largest Miao Village in the world, with more than 1, 000 families and 6,000 Miao people living here. Most travelers will arrive in Kaili City first and then make a short transfer to Xijiang Miao Village. This vast Miao village is nestled on the northern side of Leigong Hill, surrounded by mountains covered in rich greenery and split in half by the fiercely beautiful Baishui River.

Paying a visit to Xijiang Miao Village, you can explore the beautiful village and its surrounding scenic area and learn many Miao culture. You should not miss Xijiang Miao Nationality Museum which is made of made up of eleven exhibition halls and houses wonderful displays of cultural artifacts, traditional dress, architectural marvels and works of art. There are different performances and presentations at different locations. Don’t miss Welcome-Guest Ceremony, Singing and Dancing Performance (11:30-12:10, 16:30-17:10 at the Village Square). Besides, it is highly recommended to get to the viewing platform to catch a panoramic view of the whole village and take photographs. If you like, you can even rent Miao traditional dress and have your photographs taken in it. If you choose to spend one night staying in the village, you can come to the viewing platform for the particularly attractive night view that the whole Xijiang Miao Village is twinkling.

• Location: Xijiang Town, Leishan County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州雷山县西江镇南贵村); about 30 km from Kaili City, which needs about 0.5-1 hour’s driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about half day to one day;
• Best Activities to Do: Photography; to shoot panoramic view both in daytime and at night
• Ticket: 110 Yuan/pp
• Nearby Recommended Villages to Combine with: Langde Miao Village

Langde Upper Miao Village

Singing and Dancing performance at Langde

Langde Upper Miao Village is the must-see attraction when visiting Kaili City. Compared with Xijiang Miao Village, Langde Upper Village has become famous among International travelers for its less crowds, peaceful natural atmosphere, friendly villagers and rich cultural heritage. Langde Upper Village, though it is a small village with only 500 villagers, has got the reputation of “the Hometown of Chinese Folk Song and Dance Art”, “one of the Hundred Open-air Museum” and “the Hometown of Lusheng”. The architectures (Diaojiaolou) in Langde are wonders - having been built without the use of any nails or rivets. The women here wear long skirt and so they are often referred to “Long Skirt Miao”.

Travelers who come to Langde will be treated with a traditional welcome ceremony. Beautiful young girls and ladies dressed in traditional Miao costumes will “block the way” at the village gate and what welcomes you are twelve tables with “block-the-way” wine. Once the toasts are complete, you will continue to experience the singing and dancing performance. The men will play the Lusheng and ladies will dance. All the villagers will participate in the dance and guests will be invited to join in.

• Location: Langde Shangzhai, Leishan County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州雷山县朗德上寨); about 28 km from Kaili City, which needs about 0.5-1 hour’s driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about 2-3 hours;
• Best Activities to Do: Experience local customs, photography
• Ticket: 60 Yuan/pp (sightseeing bus included)
• Nearby Recommended Villages to Combine with: Jidao Miao Village, Nanhua Miao Village

Biasha Miao Village Performance

Fire Guns at Biasha Miao Village

Biasha Miao Village (or called Basha Miao Village), about 8.5 km from Congjiang County, is a village unlike any other in China. When paying a visit to Qiandongnan, Biasha Miao Village should be not-to-be-missed attraction. The Biasha people are said to be the descendants of Chi You, a mythological warrior in ancient China and have traditions dating back 2, 000 years. Men of Basha dress as ancient warriors with black waistcoats and straight back trousers as well as swords, hunting dogs and firelocks. And women wear black pair shirts and pleated skirts, which are simple but embroidered with bright colors. Though guns are strictly regulated in China, men in Basha are permitted to carry and use guns as to protect their tradition. Therefore, Basha is called as “the last gunslinger village in China”.

As you enter Biasha Village, you can see the local residents living in traditional Miao dwellings known as Diaojiaolou. Basha men line up outside the village and fire their guns at the sky to welcome tourists. They perform Miao dances in the village square and show them how to shave with a sickle. The performances are held at 09:00, 11:00 and 15:00 everyday.

The Biasha people and their customs have remained largely unchanged for thousands of years, and are still as fascinating and mysterious as ever. It truly is the perfect place to experience the diversity of Miao culture in Guizhou Province.

• Location: Basha Village, Bingmei Town, Congjiang County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州从江县丙妹镇岜沙村883县道); about 245 km from Kaili City, which needs about 3.5-4 hour’s driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about 2-3 hours;
• Best Activities to Do: Photography, watch performance
• Ticket: 80 Yuan/pp (sightseeing bus excluded)
• Nearby Recommended Villages to Combine with: Xiaohuang Dong Village, Zhanli Dong Village

Matang Gejia People

Matang Gejia Village Panoramic View

Matang Gejia Village, located in the northwest of Kaili City, has a population about 400 of the ethnic minority group of Gejia (亻革家人 or 革家人). They are officially classified as a part of the Miao, but have separate status in Guizhou Province. So, it was called the 57th ethnic group in China unofficially. According to the legend, Gejia people are the direct descendants of Hou Yi (后裔), a legendary hero who was said to shoot the nine scorching suns in order to save his people.

Taking a short visiting to Matang Village, you can have a look at the Gejia women dressed in distinctive ceremonial costumes - fringe hats, twinkling silver ornaments, clothes with batik patterns and embroidery, armor-like tippets, pleated short skirts and embroidered leg wrappings. Passing by the local families and their wooden houses, you can see the women weaving, stitchworking, batiking, silversmithing. The handicraft style dates back to the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE). It reflects the Gejia people are longing for a better life and shows their boundless love for nature. If interested, you can learn batik from a local master and create your own batik work.

• Location: Longcheng Town, Kaili City, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州凯里市龙场镇); about 21 km from Kaili City, which needs about 0.5-1 hour’s driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about 1-3 hours;
• Best Activities to Do: Photography, experience Gejia batik
• Ticket: Free
• Nearby Recommended Villages to Combine with: Langde Upper Miao Village

Xinqiao Miao Village

Hundred-year-old Water Granary

Xinqiao Miao Village, located in Leishan County in Qiandongnan, is known as “the First Village with Short Skirt Miao” and the hundred-year-old Water Granary. With a history over 600 years, Xinqiao Village has only 153 families, well preserved with Ming and Qing styled architectures and Tang Dynasty costumes.

The Miao costumes are very different from other Miao villages in Guizhou. The clothes of men has 9 to 13 pairs of buttons and the women in Xinqiao Village wear a kind of pleated skirt about 6 inches (5-8 inches), and colorful ribbons are decorated at the waist. So they are called “short skirt Miao”. A visit to the village, you can see the short skirt Miao in their traditional dress singing and dancing. If you are lucky, you can enjoy the famous Jinji Dance. Another distinctive feature of Xinqiao Village is the Water Granary. There are 47 granaries on water made of wooden with hundreds of history. Why granary was built on water? It was used for protecting against fire and mouse and fish, duck and goose can be raised in the ponds. The design of water granary can be called a wonder in the history of agricultural architecture.

• Location: Xinqiao Village, Leishan County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州雷山县大塘乡新桥村); about 53 km from Kaili City, which needs about 1-1.5 hours’ driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about 2 hours;
• Best Activities to Do: Photography
• Ticket: Free

Zhaoxing Dong Village

Performance at Zhaoxing Dong Village

With a history over 800 years, Zhaoxing Dong Village, located in Liping County bordering with Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is the largest Dong Village in Southeast Guizhou and even in the world. It has been selected as “one of the six most beautiful countryside in China” by Chinese National Geographic and “one of the 33 most attractive destinations in the world” by National Geographic and Fashion Tourism. To see the Dong Villages in Guizhou, Zhaoxing Dong Village is the most recommended one.

There are about 1,100 households in Zhaoxing Dong Village with a population over 6,000. Surrounded by green mountains in four sides, Zhaoxing Dong Village is situated in the fertile valley with two clear streams flowing through. It is famous for the five drum towers, which are the village’s symbols and they were listed into the Guinness World Records in 2001. Paying a visit to Zhaoxing Dong Village, you will not only have the great chance to see the drum towers, but also appreciate the Grand Song of Dong People and learn Dong cultures in different aspects.

• Location: Zhaoxing Town, Liping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州黎平县肇兴镇868县道); about 214 km from Kaili City, which needs about 2.5-3 hours’ driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about 2-3 hours;
• Best Activities to Do: Hiking; You can do short hiking from the entrance to Dong Folk Custom Garden, about 1-3 hours; or you can hiking from Zhaoxing Dong Village to Tang’an Dong Village via Xiage Dong Village. This route needs about 3 hours.
• Ticket: 80 Yuan/pp
• Nearby Recommended Villages to Combine with: Tang’an Dong Village

Beautiful Village View of Huanggang

"Tai Guan Ren" Festival Scene

Huanggang Dong Village, about 45 km in the west of Zhaoxing Dong Village, is an idyllic and peaceful village well kept traditional way of living. Reputed as “Utopia in Guizhou”, Huanggang Dong Village has about 320 households with a population of 1,600. What makes Huanggang special are the five drum towers, Wind and Rain Bridges and one of the birthplace of Grand Song of Dong People. At the entrance of the village, there are two Wind and Rain Bridges decorated with dragon and phoenix patterns. The five drum towers are very exquisite with different designs and beautiful decorations. Many locals will gather at the drum towers to rest, and discuss village affairs.

Huanggang Dong Village is only village to celebrate “Goddess of Thunder Worship Festival” (Han Tian Jie 喊天节). It occurs on the fifteenth day of the sixth lunar month. While, on the third day of the first lunar month, local villagers will parade around the whole village to spend the festival “Tai Guan Ren”. You may experience these interesting festivals if time is right.

• Location: Shuangjiang Town, Liping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州黎平县双江乡); about 204 km from Kaili City, which needs about 2.5-3 hours’ driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about 2-3 hours;
• Best Activities to Do: Photography
• Ticket: Free
• Nearby Recommended Villages to Combine with: Xiaohuang Dong Village

Grand Songs Scene at Xiaohuang Village

Drum Tower of Xiaohuang Dong Village

Xiaohuang Dong Village is one of the famous Dong Village of Qiandongnan located about 22 km from Congjiang County. Over 3,000 people live in this village and the village is isolated from the outside world. So, the locals are proficient at farming, hunting and weaving cloth.

Xiaohuang Village is often referred to as the Village of Grand Songs because of the Dong people in this village are particularly accomplished at performing polyphonic folk songs known as “Dage” (Grand Songs). And Xiaohuang Village was bestowed the title “the Village of Chinese Folk Art” for its preservation of the Dong singing tradition. On the important festivals or big holidays, the locals dressed in traditional costumes will perform Grand Song around the drum tower. The Congjiang Grand Song Festival will happen on November 28 every year that travelers can enjoy the grand festival and listen to the choir.

• Location: Gaozeng Town, Congjiang County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州从江县高增乡); about 210 km from Kaili City, which needs about 2.5-3 hours’ driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about 2-3 hours;
• Best Activities to Do: Photography, watch performance
• Ticket: Free
• Nearby Recommended Villages to Combine with: Zhanli Dong Village, Huanggang Dong Village

Harvest Scene at Zhanli Dong Village

Dong Girl at Zhanli Village

Zhanli Dong Village, about 16 km in north of Congjiang County, serves as gathering point for the Dong ethnic group, accommodating 836 villagers in 186 households. The village is quite cut off from the outside world and has its own unique culture. Ancestors of Zhanli made a rule during the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to achieve balance between the population and the amount of cultivated land. According to the legend, there is a herbalist in the village who uses the mythical herbs to control the population. Before couples try to have a second child, they come to the herbalist. She will take water out of one of two wells - a “boy well” and a “girl well” - and brews a soup with a local herb with it. By drinking the mixture, the couple can allegedly decide the sex of their next baby. This happens real in the village, and most of families in Zhanli have two children, with 98% having one girl and one boy.

The best time to come to Zhanli is during the harvest time around October. The golden rice are hanging neatly on the grain racks along the river. If you want to shoot a panoramic view, you can go to the Wind and Rain Bridge or the slope behind the Village Committee.

• Location: Congjiang County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州从江县); about 211 km from Kaili City, which needs about 2.5-3 hours’ driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about 2-3 hours;
• Best Activities to Do: Photography
• Ticket: Free
• Nearby Recommended Villages to Combine with: Biasha Miao Village

Dali Dong Village

Stone-paved path at Dali Dong Village

Dali Village, about 23 km from Rongjiang County, is a primitive Dong Village hidden in the deep mountain. What makes this village antique is the 400 ancient phoebe and among them, over 40 are with a history over 500 years. What’s more, the quadrangle courtyard, the stone-paved path, ancient tombs are the highlights of the village.

Similar to the Zhaoxing Dong Village, Dali has five Wind and Rain Bridges. Once you enter the village, you’ll step on the ancient stone-paved path built in the reign of Qianlong in Qing Dynasty (1636-1912). This path is the only flagstone pathway decorated with stone carvings, with a total number of 480. You should not miss the Yang Family Quadrangle Courtyard with over 200 years that 93 generations are living here. Come to the center of the village to see the drum tower where performances are held at the square. If time permits, you can do a little hiking to the beautiful Sandie Waterfall about 2 kilometers away.

• Location: Dali Dong Village, Zaima Town, Rongjiang County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture (黔东南苗族侗族自治州榕江县栽麻镇大利侗寨); about 170 km from Kaili City, which needs about 2.5-3 hours’ driving;
• Recommended Visiting Time: about 2-3 hours;
• Best Activities to Do: Photography, hiking
• Ticket: Free