How Beautiful Is One of the World’s Most Alluring Travel Destinations?

Zhaoxing Dong Village is the largest Dong ethnic settlement in southeastern Guizhou and the cultural heart of the Dong people. Since serving as a sub-venue of the Spring Festival Gala in 2018, its reputation has steadily grown, drawing an increasing number of visitors. Yet despite its rising fame, the village still preserves the rhythms of everyday life: men continue to work the fields, while women remain busy with indigo dyeing and household affairs. Here, breathtaking scenery coexists with a deeply rooted human warmth, creating an atmosphere rich in both beauty and tradition.

Highlights of Zhaoxing Dong Village:

Drum Towers:
The village is divided into five major clans, locally known as “tuan,” named Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, and Xin. Each clan has its own drum tower, and all five towers differ in style and appearance, standing as symbols of unity and identity.

Stilted Wooden Houses:
Traditional Dong architecture is dominated by dry-column stilt houses, usually three stories high. The ground floor is used for livestock and farming tools, the second floor for daily living, and the top floor for storing grain.

Wind and Rain Bridges:
Also called “Flower Bridges,” these covered bridges provide shelter from wind and rain. In summer, villagers gather here to cool off; elders sit stitching embroidery, while people wash clothes along the riverbanks below.

Dong Drum and Dance Traditions:
Zhaoxing is not only a land of drum towers but also a home of song and dance. During festivals, villagers gather at the drum towers and song grounds to celebrate with traditional events such as “Cai Getang” and “Tai Guanren,” filling the village with music and movement.

Dong Cloth:
Throughout the village, you will see lengths of fabric drying in the sun—this is traditional handmade Dong cloth. The process is intricate, involving repeated dyeing, drying, and rhythmic pounding with wooden mallets until the fabric develops a natural sheen. The brighter the finish, the more valuable the cloth is said to be.