Dian-Qian Road Trip (34) The First Dong Village - Zhaoxing Dong Village

Dian-Qian Road Trip (34) The First Dong Village - Zhaoxing Dong Village April 2 (Saturday) Qiannan - Qiandongnan Weather: Sunny to cloudy, 5-15°C; today's highest point altitude is 813 meters. A rare day of good weather. After breakfast, we entered Libo Zhangjiang Scenic Area again to visit the Daqikong Scenic Spot. Daqikong Scenic Spot is one of the four major scenic areas of Zhangjiang Scenic Area, combining karst landforms and hydrological landscapes. We boarded the boat to go in and walked out (Photo 1), following the emerald-colored stream, listening to the gentle sound of water, breathing in the moist air, making a round trip inside the canyon. The Natural Bridge (Photo 2) and Terror Gorge (Photo 3) are important attractions. After lunch, we drove nearly 100 kilometers and entered the Qiandongnan border at 1:30 PM. Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture is home to 33 ethnic groups including Miao, Dong, Han, and Bouyei. The terrain slopes from west to east, with ravines and continuous mountains, preserving a pristine ecological environment. At 3 PM, we arrived at our destination, Zhaoxing Dong Village. Zhaoxing Dong Village (4A) is located in Liping County, with over 1,100 households and more than 6,000 residents. It is one of the largest Dong villages in China and is known as "The First Dong Village" (Photo 4). Surrounded by mountains, the village is built in a mountain basin, with two small streams merging into a river flowing through the village. The grand main gate at the entrance is impressive (Photo 5). The old houses in the village are stilted wooden buildings made entirely of cedar wood, simple and practical (Photo 6). Zhaoxing Dong Village is the core attraction of Liping Dongxiang Scenic Area, famous for its drum towers. Its drum towers are unique among Dong villages nationwide, listed in the Guinness World Records, and known as the "Hometown of Drum Tower Culture and Art" (Photo 7). The village is divided into five major clans, locally called "Tuan": Ren Tuan, Yi Tuan, Li Tuan, Zhi Tuan, and Xin Tuan. Each "Tuan" has its own drum tower, flower bridge, and opera stage (Photo 8). The five drum towers differ in appearance, height, size, and style, creating a magnificent sight. At night, the ethnic-style buildings outlined by the village lights remain charming (Photo 9). Tonight we stay here, enjoy a Dong village meal, sleep in a Dong stilted house, and live as a Dong villager for a day. Tomorrow we will continue touring in Qiandongnan.