Secret Cloud Realm Hidden in the Deep Mountains of Guizhou

Unbelievable! A "Cloud Terrace Café" has been discovered deep in the mountains of Guizhou, and for just 3 yuan in transportation fees, you can take in the entire landscape! "When I was in the 'Cloud Café' at Tang'an Dong Village, holding a lemon tea and watching the terraces appear and disappear in the mist, I suddenly understood why this place is called China's most healing secret realm—after the hassle of transferring three times and buying two tickets from Zhaoxing Dong Village, the moment I saw this ink painting-like scene before me, it all became a worthwhile romance." Standing on the 800-meter-high viewing platform, looking at the layers of terraces carved like giant fingerprints on the earth, I finally understood what it means to have "your body in hell, but your eyes in heaven." 1. Time-Space Fold: The Thousand-Year Terraces Hidden in the Clouds 1. Geographic Codebook • Cloud Coordinates: Tang'an Dong Village is located in Zhaoxing Township, Liping County, Qiandongnan, Guizhou Province, 8 kilometers from Zhaoxing Dong Village, with an elevation difference of 300 meters • Terrace Gene: 1,200-level terraces spiral along the mountain, forming the spectacular "Terraces Surrounding Three Villages," listed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization as a "Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System" • Transportation Secret: You need to take a shuttle bus (free) from Zhaoxing Dong Village → transfer to a minibus (20 yuan round trip) → finally take a 3 yuan shuttle bus, known as the "Guizhou version of a roller coaster" 2. Living Historical Fossil • Dong Code: The "fishbone pattern" wood carvings on the drum tower in the village correspond to the Dong people's belief in "fish as totem" • Water System Wisdom: The ancient well "Sasui Spring" has an underground channel system that has allowed villagers to avoid going down the mountain for water for 500 years • Ecological Miracle: The terraces require no fertilizer, relying on the "duck-rice symbiosis" system to maintain fertility for a thousand years 2. Immersive Activities: Be a One-Day Hermit in the Clouds 1. Terrace Aesthetic Route • Morning Mist Photography: 6:30-7:30 at the "Sun Viewing Platform" to photograph the sea of clouds over the terraces; a telephoto lens is recommended • Rice Field Sketching: The village's "Painting Hall" provides watercolor tools, 50 yuan per session including an easel • Starry Camping: Set up a tent at the "Terrace Campsite" (80 yuan per night) and watch the Milky Way fall into the terraces at night 2. Café Roaming Guide • Cloud Café: • Location: "Cloud Café" viewing platform store (highest point of the terraces) • Must-try: Terrace Special Blend (made with mountain spring water + ancient Dong tree tea, 38 yuan per cup) • Bonus: Spend over 50 yuan to borrow Dong ethnic costumes for a 1-hour photo session • Sunset Cabin: • Feature: Extra-large lemon tea (1L), the owner will teach you how to make a "Dong-flavored special drink" • Hidden Service: Buy tea and get a hand-painted terrace postcard 3. Handcraft Experience Classes • Cup Sleeve Workshop: • Location: "Lemon Language Handcraft" lemon tea shop • Activity: Make a cup sleeve using Dong blue-dyed fabric (68 yuan per session), the owner will teach tie-dye techniques • Bonus: After making it, enjoy a free freshly squeezed lemon tea • Traditional Papermaking: • Experience Point: "Paper Dong Charm" studio • Feature: Make paper from terrace rice straw, with Dong ethnic patterns printed (98 yuan per sheet) 3. In-Depth Experience: Unlock the Dong Life Code 1. Drum Tower Culture Class • Drum Tower Code: • The village drum tower has 12 main pillars, corresponding to the Dong people's 12 months • At 7:00 PM daily, there is a free "Moonlight" performance, showcasing how Dong grand songs weave the terraces with sound • Taboo Guide: • Do not step on the drum tower threshold (the Dong believe it will break the clan's luck) • Before taking photos, sing back when elders sing the "Road Blocking Song" to be allowed entry 2. Food Treasure Map • Must-Eat Trio: 1. Beef Stomach Hotpot: A dark dish cooked with beef stomach juice (50 yuan per serving, for the brave) 2. Dong Sour Fish: Rice field fish marinated with glutinous rice for three years, with a fragrant sour aroma (80 yuan per fish) 3. Colored Glutinous Rice: Seven-colored rice dyed with plants, symbolizing a "colorful life" (15 yuan per serving) • Hidden Stalls: • Village Entrance "Grandma's Ciba": Freshly pounded glutinous rice cake, coated with soybean powder (5 yuan each) • Terrace Edge "Mountain Spring Tofu": Tofu made with terrace water, eaten with chili powder (10 yuan per serving) 3. Indigenous Faith Tour • Sasui Altar: • Location: Hillside behind the village, residence of the highest Dong deity • Ceremony: Participate in the "Sasui Sacrifice" ritual on the 1st and 15th of each lunar month, watching Dong elders perform the "Sas Dance" • Village Tour Taboos: • Walk clockwise around the village, no backtracking • When encountering the "Road Blocking Song," give a red envelope (1 yuan is enough) 4. Survival Guide: Wisdom to Avoid Tourists 1. Transportation Tips • Money-saving Route: • Take the free shuttle bus from Zhaoxing Dong Village to the transfer station • Transfer to locals' motorcycles (15 yuan per person) directly to the village gate • Time Bonus: • Before 7 AM, minibus seats are plentiful, allowing exclusive enjoyment of the terrace morning mist • After 4 PM, fewer people take the shuttle bus, and the driver may detour to sunset spots 2. Accommodation Guide • Cloud Homestays: • "Terrace View": 270° floor-to-ceiling windows, open the window to see the terraces (400 yuan per night) • "Dong Wooden House": A century-old stilt house renovated, listen to terrace frogs at night (200 yuan per night) • Pitfall Guide: • Avoid staying in new buildings at the village entrance; choose old houses in the village for more charm • Book in advance; homestays are often fully booked in peak season 3. Photography Guide • Costume Rental: • Village "Dong Charm Clothing Workshop": 30 yuan per hour including headwear • Recommended to rent the "Hundred Birds Dress" (Dong ethnic formal wear), very photogenic • Best Times: • Morning: Terrace reflections are clearest (9:00-10:30) • Evening: Terraces turn into "golden waves" (5:30-6:30 PM) 5. Surrounding Connections: Extras Outside the Village 1. Zhaoxing Dong Village Connection • Night Tour Guide: • 7:30 PM watch the "Dong Grand Song" performance (80 yuan per person) • 9:00 PM go to the "Wind and Rain Bridge" to listen to elders tell stories • Food Bonus: • "Liao Fatty's Cuisine" crispy fragrant pork (35 yuan per serving) • "Dong Family Winery" glutinous rice wine (15 yuan per jin) 2. Seasonal Limited Activities • Spring: March-April watch terrace irrigation, like countless mirrors embedded in the mountains • Summer: June-July rice transplanting season, experience "mud football" • Autumn: September-October golden rice harvest, shoot "harvest blockbusters" • Winter: December-February watch the sea of clouds, terraces become "ink wash paintings" When the sunset dyes the terraces golden, I sit on the terrace of "Cloud Café," watching Dong grandmas bend over harvesting in the terraces, suddenly understanding why this place is called "the terrace closest to heaven." The hassle of transferring three times and buying two tickets all become the password to enter this fairyland when seeing this living "A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" before my eyes.