10 days Journey through Miao & Dong Area in Guizhou

You will be met and welcomed by the tour guide in Guiyang airport. Visit the Hequn evening market after dinner, which will leave you an impression of Guizhou's most popular and spicy food.

One-day tour includes Huangguoshu Waterfall and Dragon Palace. Hidden behind the waterfall is a 134-meter long water-curtain cave with fantastic stalactites. Situated in Zhengning County, the cave is located in a karst area 600-1500 meters above sea level, with a rainfall of 1300 mm. This area has long been known for its scenic beauty of crisscrossing streams and alternating peaks and gorges.

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Drive 2 hours along the scenic mountain roads to Kaili. Pay a visit to the Kaili Museum, which will offer you an overall view of the ethnic costumes in Guizhou. Then visit Matang, a quiet village inhabited by the Gejia minority, where we will learn about their culture. The Gejia although classified as Miao are in fact a separate group. Their founder is General Da Sa, probably of Manchu descent. You will see their typical costumes, houses, embroidery and batik making.

A short drive from Kaili along the Bala River will take us to the village of Langde, a real gem with traditional wooden houses and waterwheels. After lunch we will continue our journey to Datang, a Miao village with an aquatic granary and the women's "Mini skirt". Then visit the Paika village to know more about Lusheng—the Miao people's most important musical instrument.

We will drive from Kaili to Rongjiang, and visit the beautiful Chejiang Dong village and the cluster of old Banian tree on the way. The Dong can be recognized by their turbans (for men), and pleated skirts (for women). They are also known for their architecture, particularly their Drum Towers, and Fengyu bridges (Wind and Rain bridges), which are pavilions for sheltering people during bad weather. Stay in Rongjiang guesthouse (simple condition) at night.

Visit Biasha, a small Miao village with very little signs of modern influence. The people rarely venture out of the village except for selling firewood and shopping for daily necessities in markets, and both men and women can be seen in traditional costumes, wearing their hair long. Then to visit Yintan, a Dong village built on the top of the mountain with its beautiful landscape. Stay in Congjiang guesthouse (simple condition) at night.

A 3-hour drive will take us to Zhaoxing, one of the largest Dong villages in the region, with more than 700 households and a population of 4000. After dinner, we will be entertained by the Dong people's welcome ceremony (singing and dancing included) right beneath the Dong's Drum Tower. Stay in Zhaoxing (the wooden houses are not in good condition).

From Zhaoxing we will continue our journey south into Guangxi Province. Sanjiang in Guangxi province is a village inhabited by the South Dong, one of the two subgroups of the Dong ethnic minority. A short drive away from Sanjiang will take us to Chengyang, a quaint little village with one of the largest Fengyu bridges (Wind and Rain bridge) in the region. Here we will explore the villages on foot, visiting the lively markets and hillside farms.

Today we will depart Sanjiang in the morning to visit Longsheng, where the mountains are covered with terraced rice fields, some of which reach up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) peaks. We will arrive in Guilin in the afternoon and the rest of the day will be open for you to freshen up.

Transfer to the airport to catch the flight for your next destination. (If you have not visited Guilin before, you may choose to spend 2 or 3 more days to tour Guilin, the most picturesque city in China.)