Guizhou: China’s last gunslingers and indigo wearing tribe
Living in Beijing, one naturally feels the urge to venture down south once in a while. Even the northern Manchu rulers of Qing Dynasty, Kangxi and his grandson, Qianlong performed tours of inspection to the south’ (nanxun) down the Grand Canal. Despite the abhorred humidity, there is really something in the air in the land south of the Yangtze: the people are warmer, the rice is sweeter; apparently even the girls are prettier (this I would digress).
After tasting the microscopic non-Han culture in China’s most diverse province of Yunnan, I was drawn towards these minority culture. Guizhou, a landlocked province in the southwest region of the PRC. This province is often described with these 3 lines:
天无三日晴 (No three clear days uninterrupted by rain)
地无三里平 (No 3 ping* of flat land)
人无三两银 (Not one person with 3 liang** of silver)
*ping is a Chinese unit measurement for area. 1 ping = 3.3 square metre
** liang is a Chinese unit measurement for weight. 1 liang = 50 gramThese 3 lines are basically describing: the humidity and the rainy weather; the mountainous terrain; and the … poverty. Yes, Guizhou is one of the last developed province in the southern/eastern part of China. While rich in cultural (ethnic minorities), natural and environmental resources (timber and forestry, energy, mining), the province has the seventh-lowest GDP per capita in the country as of 2019.
One of the reasons for this ‘left-behind’ness is the topography of the province. The area is famously known for its jagged peaks of mountains and hills, which are impressive to stare at, but are impossible to navigate or cultivate. Fortunately things are looking better as highways and bridges now seamlessly connect the province. In fact, Guizhou makes an excellent destination for road trips, given the dramatic mountain views visible from the freshly built highways.
The province is now one of China’s fastest-growing economies with its development as data hub. Its mild climate means a constant supply of cool air to the servers housed in data centers, thereby reducing their energy consumption. Now known as China’s ‘big data valley’, the province also often produces excess amount of electricity, that it has sold to other provinces.
Lastly, given its 97% of good air quality day in the year, this is definitely one of the best get-away from Beijing. So here are the places worth seeing in Guizhou.
Zhenyuan 镇原
My first stop in Guizhou took me right back to ancient China. Zhenyuan is small, being only 3.1 sqkm — but it is DENSE with gorgeous historical and natural sights. In fact, when I sent a shot of the town to a friend, he noted that Zhenyuan seemed like it came straight out of a kungfu movie we used to watch as kids.
A former outpost on the trade route from Yunnan to Hunnan, there is an incredible 35-minute Wuyang River 舞阳河 cruise (60 RMB). I highly recommend you to board after the sun sets, when the entire town and the mountain light up.
Start your first day by heading to Zhusheng bridge, the oldest bridge as well as the most photographed sight in town. For a rewarding morning, climb the Miao Jiang Great Wall 苗疆长城, the remains of 16th century wall built to protect the town against the Miao. Once you finish ‘WaWaWeeWa’-ing on top of Shiping Mountain 石屏山, proceed down and find a local restaurant or teahouse to have a long lunch in. Heck, take a nap if you must.
In the afternoon, explore the ancient alleys of Sifangjing Xiang 四方井巷 and the gated residences dressed with red lanterns. Within this maze of alleyway lies Yuanjia Doufulao 袁家豆腐老点, a family-run restaurant under the roof of an ancient open-air timber building — that the family disgruntedly said government wouldn’t let them demolish (it was one of the most ancient dwelling structure in town). The Miao-family run joint serves the best la rou ci ba 腊肉糍粑 — Chinese bacon fried with local sticky dough. Also worth a try is the classic local mint root salad zhe er gen, which are many people’s favourite but mine. All of these are best enjoyed with the house rice-wine, osmanthus flavour comes highly recommended. Beware though, the grandma here will push anyone to the verge of alcoholism — I had to threaten to sleep on her bed for her to stop serving me wine.
On the second day you can explore the Green Dragon Cave 青龙洞 qing long dong. Not so much a cave, this is a labyrinth of temples and grottoes, with some of the best views of the river bend. Wander on the city wall, where you may end up in the 14th century arch where kids swim in the summer.
If you are into China’s 20th century history, spare an hour wandering around Peace Village 和平村 he ping cun, the site where Kuomintang used to detain Japanese prisoners. The architecture is beautiful and well maintained, but most of the explanatory text is in Mandarin. I overheard some Chinese tourist saying the bedrooms were too ‘nice’ for these ‘Japs’ before they started comparing it with their former university dorm (this subject is open for debate).
If you are a Chinese overseas, you might be interested to explore Tianhou Temple 天候宫 built by Fujianese merchants in the 16th century. The temple was dedicated to the the Chinese sea goddes, Tianhou — also widely known as Mazu. From here, you could hike back up and explore more of the ancient alleys of Zhenyuan.
If you really want some peace and quiet, take the mini-bus from Zhusheng Bridge to Tiexi Gorge 铁溪 (20mins, 10km) with some local farmers. The ride passed by verdant green trees, river and mini villages. The walk from the entrance to Dragon Pool though, was arduous. Stone steps were incredibly slippery so don’t do this trek after a rain. While the quietness was rewarding, you can definitely experience the same kind of solemnity in the hike up the Miao Jiang Great Wall.
If you are driving in/out of Zhenyuan, stop by Baojing 报京 (40km from Zhenyuan), another Dong village knowns for seed-sowing festival 播种节 bo zhong jie — a lively celebration of dancing and courtship rituals.
How to get here: From Beijing, I took a 9 hour train to Kaili. Arriving at Kaili train station, you have the option to: continue the train journey from Kaili to Zhenyuan (1-2 hour ride with a view) or take a minivan^ ride (60 RMB). If you need a driver's contact, comment in the Response.If you are coming from Guiyang, the high speed train to Kaili takes 38 minutes and the regular train 2.5 hour.
Xijiang 西江
Xijiang, being the largest gathering place of the Miao in China is inhabited by 6,000 or so people, 99.5% of which are of Miao nationality. It is best enjoyed from afar — from the observation deck, you can see layer upon layer of closely connected wooden-stilted houses built along the contour of the hill. During the day the sunlight makes the red wood board shine brightly, and in the evening, the houses lit up the mountains like static fireflies.
However Xijiang is the most commercialized villages I have been in during this trip, with shops selling souvenir trinkets along the main path. To escape this, sneak into one of the alleyways and climb upward. You may just find your way into batik workshop and beautiful vista down below. Otherwise, head to Gate 1 and trek the rice paddies to another village. If trekking isn’t your thing, you can spend the afternoon in 一木草堂咖啡馆 yi mu cao tang ka fei guan, a cafe sitting atop of the hill.
There are free song-and-dance performances twice a day at the performance square演出场 yan chu chang, one in the late morning and another in the late afternoon. In addition, there is also two paid performances; 美丽西江 mei li xi jiang located inside the village (100–150 RMB for A/B tickets — prices slightly vary between 2pm and 7pm shows and students can get half price tickets for the matinee show) and another one located outside the village (180–258 tickets for A/B tickets, return bus included — 6pm departure).
I think all of the paid performances are commercial reiterations of the free shows so if you are tight on budget or time, you can skip it altogether — instead, catch the sunset from the observation point. If you decide to watch one, I’d recommend watching the evening performances. While it feels commercial, the show outside the village had an impressive stage (the seats rotated around the stage). To my eye, some designs feel misplaced but the technology was undeniably impressive. The show also provides English explanations about the dances and stories. Before the performance started, you’d walk past girls dressed in several outfits of different Miao subbranches — though I’m not sure how many of them are actually Miao.
You might spot the same elderly performers participating in several shows (free ones and paid ones). I struck up a conversation with some, and was told that they are paid in coupons which they convert into cash at the end of the month. This begs me to question whether tradition become a mere show for tourists, or is tourism the only way for tradition to survive?
How to get here: I took a minivan from Zhenyuan to Xijiang for 80 RMB. Nearest train station is Kaili, where there are plenty of minivans available - the ride from Kaili to Xijiang should be no more than 40 RMB.Ticket: 110 RMB (65 RMB in 2020) for 3 day, includes 4 buggy rides. There are public buggies available in town but they are only available for locals.
Libo 黎波
Made up of Xiao Qi Kong 小气孔 and Da Qi Kong 大气孔, Libo was supposed to be a beautiful nature getaway after all the histories and ethnic minorities culture I have been absorbing. However the place was SWAMPED with people as it was the third day of National Day holiday.
The ticket is valid for 2 days, so if you arrive in Libo in the afternoon, take it easy and explore the smaller Da Qi Kong 大气孔 on the first day. The path was clearly marked and it only took 1–2 hour of leisurely walk, with a short boat ride (20 RMB) on the way back. The scenery reminded me of Wulong Karst in Chongqing with its gaping hole in the karst structure.
If you are visiting Libo during a non Chinese holiday period, definitely head here. Otherwise if you find yourself with gazillions other people, head to the quieter 茂兰 Maolan National Nature Reserve an-hour-drive away.
How to get here: From Xijiang, there's a bus for 110 RMB, or you can bargain with a minivan (120-150 RMB). The minivan should have been faster (2.5-3 hour / 193km) but the driver would only wait until the car was full before departing.The train station here is still being built but there is an airport.Ticket: 170 RMB (110 RMB in 2020) for 2 day entrance, includes the bus ride around 小气孔.
Zhaoxing 肇星
While Zhaoxing is actually the largest Dong 侗 village in the province, it is much smaller than Xijiang, which reflects the significantly smaller population of Dong ethnic minority in comparison to the Miao. What Zhaoxing lacks in size, however it makes up in charm. Located much further to Guiyang or Kaili (in fact it’s much closer to the border with Guilin province), the village resembles what an actual minority village looks like, but with comfortable accommodations: stylishly decorated inns 民俗 min su with a view, a 空间 kong jian and 侗宅, a designer store called 蕊 selling careully crafted products combining contemporary design and ethnic minority’s tradition (pricey but everything in the store is beautiful, the owner is a Sichuanese who designs for a Guangzhou bag brand Bampo 半坡铈族 ban po shi zu).
The buildings are well preserved and people still preserve much of their way of life. The locals still drink water from the mountain, and since I came right after their rice harvesting season, women and men would take out their harvested rice every morning, lay them out over a mat on the ground and started sweeping (to dry them before putting them in storage). Children and grandmas spend the early evenings singing Dong songs, before finally resorting to watching cartoon or doing square dancing (a type of group dancing popular all throughout China) around the drum tower.
Drum towers are deep cultural significance to the Dong ethnic minority, since they are places where the people socialize and the elders meet and historically passed judgement.
Five important characteristics of drum tower:
- The drum towers are erected without nails, using only grooves that fit and lock into each other.
- Most Drum Towers will have a square base but the tower itself will usually be hexagonal or octagonal in shape.
- The storeys of the tower get wider as they go from top to bottom, giving the tower a tapered appearance. This tapered appearance is supposed to represent a large tree, specifically a cedar tree. The Dong people worship trees, specifically legendary Cedar King from Dong folklore.
- Every Drum Tower will have an odd number of storeys, as the Dong people believe this is a symbol of good fortune.
- While the drum towers may all look similar, each tower’s interior and exterior’s lavish decoration and carvings are what set them apart. The first storey is usually the most elaborately decorated.
What is important however, is what happens inside the drum tower. Benches encircling the drum tower is called the “fire pond”. Traditionally the fire in the middle of the drum tower is kept lit throughout most of the year — which explains why the ceiling is so high in the middle (to allow for all that smoke to dissipate). However now in Zhaoxing, the fire only starts after sunset — bamboos and firewood are carried to the middle of drum tower and burnt as older ladies bust out their songs. It is believed that one of the functions of this “fire pond” is to dry out the inside of the Drum Tower so the wood does not rot, as Guizhou’s climate is notoriously damp and rainy.
Nowadays drum tower is a place where villagers can gather, sing, play instruments, dance, or simply meet each other and socialize. The tower is also still the main venue for important festivals. In fact, when I visited, there was a huge feast celebrating the harvest of glutinous rice. Laid around a drum tower, 10 round tables are filled with men and women, endlessly toasting each other their 60+% ABV home made rice wine.
In the evening, walk to the lookout point. If you come before autumn, you might be able to take the perfect photography of the purple sky after sunset with all 5 drum towers all lit up at the same time.
As I was with friends who much preferred to eat than to walk, we forwent the sunset for a sumptious dinner instead: barbeque fragrance pork rib 香猪 xiang zhu from black-skin-pig that’s usually fed with good grains and wheat. The 香猪粉, rice noodle topped with slow roast pork was MMMMPHHH (meaning: indescribable by words).
Like Xijiang, in addition to the twice daily performances of traditional Dong way of life and marriage custom by the stage (one at 7pm in the performance hall, and another fire dance at 9pm at the field), there are multiple free performances throughout the day — the first one of the day is the short welcome performance that begins at 10am daily.
How to get here: Closest train station is Congjiang 从江, from which you can hatch a taxi to Zhaoxing (6.3km)Ticket: 80 RMB (40 RMB in 2020) which includes 2 buggy trips for rides between ticketing to the village entrance, or inside the village. If you use up the 2 trips, simply pay before you board.
Tang An 堂安
Tang An, with a history of over 700 years is renowned as the “most primitive Dong village” in China. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, is a quiet stockade. Hiking up here from Zhaoxing was one of the highlights of this trip. Funny story, when I started the walk, I asked an elderly farmer how long it takes to reach Tang An and she replied “1 hour”. After 45 minutes of walking with no end in sight, I asked another traveler walking in the opposite direction and was told “you are not even halfway, it’ll take another 2 hours, perhaps 3 if you are taking photos on the way”. Moral of the story: don’t listen to super fit granny farmers!
I started my hike at the rice paddy in Zhaoxing full of women farmers. Weirdly enough, I rarely saw men working the field in this village. At first, a man came out walking in the directions of the rice paddy. Just when I thought “Ah finally, not all men here are leisurely spending their days away”, he stopped, squatted and merely watched the women who sang, laughed and chatted as they farmed— they even had a boombox next to the field and filmed some videos for Kuaishou (equivalent of Tiktok for regional China). Along the way, I finally saw one man harvesting next to his wife. I was later told by a Miao man that Dong women do have it hard: on top of child caring, they also have to work the field. And yes, I did see a baby carried on the back by one the women in the rice paddy. Fun fact: Most small farms in the world are run by women.
Guizhou’s most famous rice terrace is located in Jiabang, which is a bit of a pain to access. However the rice terraces in Tang’an was more than what I bargained for. With women in Dong clothing toiling away, the terraces’ inherent tranquility is unmissable. If you feel peckish along the hike, there is a midway village with not-a-lot-to-offer except for two little food joints opposite each other. Only one was open at the time so there wasn’t much of an option. I asked the bosslady who seemed to be in her late 30s if she had a menu, she said no and asked me what I wanted to eat, I asked her what she had, and a few minutes later, I was eating world’s best potato fried in garlic and chilli, along with some rabbit meat. I later even stood next to her in the kitchen, trying to memorize how she turned a simple ingredient like potatoes into something … glorious.
Each large family or clan in a village erected their own Drum Tower as a monument to their family, which explains how a larger village like Zhaoxing has five drum towers and Tang An, being much smaller only has one. The size of the tower and the artistic beauty of its decoration indicate the status of the clan who built it, so a large and extravagantly decorated Drum Tower is a sign of a wealthy and powerful Dong community.
China’s first ecological museum located here was founded in 1995 by China and Norway. The ‘museum’ has no particular building but extends focus to the Tang ‘an village and the surrounding environment, where the inhabitants share common language, common customs in dressing and building, common culture and mentality etc. They also maintain unique customs in wedding, burial, sacrificing ceremonies, music and dances.
The houses in Tang An are protected so people are only allowed to have timber houses. However for the sake of better quality of lives, some families have erected concrete houses and cladded them in timber to protect the heritage. The old me would lament the loss of traditional construction but after sleeping in a diaojialou timber houses in Xijiang and hearing chicken cuckoo from the first floor as I slept on the fourth floor and feeling cold from the constant dampness at the same time, I can definitely understand the logic.
How to get here: From Zhaoxing, you can choose to go by minibus (20 minutes, 20 RMB for return ticket - no option for one way) or on foot (2-3 hours one way). Most people take the minibus up and walk down.Ticket: 80 RMB (40 RMB in 2020) which includes 2 buggy trips for rides between ticketing to the village entrance, or inside the village. If you use up the 2 trips, simply pay before you board.
Basha 岜沙 (UNMISSABLE)
Often called Biasha, this village is famed for being China ‘s last tribe of gunmen. This Miao village is hidden away in a forest and filled with stilted wooden houses by the river.
Basha village is home to over 1,000 residents living in more than 400 households. Their ancestors were frontline troops who charged through forests and guarded the land where they lived. Today the men of Basha preserve their musketeer heritage, which makes it the only tribe that can legally carry real guns in China. A strong sense of precaution inherited from their ancestors keeps this village isolated from the outside world. The villagers lead a self-sufficient life in the hilly areas and retain the dressing and living customs hundreds of years ago.
The people here identifiable by their indigo coloured clothing that they dye themselves, traditionally with egg white and pig blood. The women would then dry out their freshly dyed clothes on the hill, spreading them on top of a tree burial grave.
About tree burial:
When a baby is born in Biasha village, his family will plant a birth tree which grows as the child is raised. Parents often take good care of the tree, as they believe it represents the fate of their child. It is considered auspicious if anything happens to the tree. When a person dies, his birth tree will be cut and made into his coffin. During his funeral, another tree will be planted where he is buried, and his clothes and shoes will be hung on its branches. This explains why cutting down ancient trees is forbidden in the village.
Like the people in Zhaoxing, the villagers in Basha worship trees. Unlike them, the Basha people worship maples. They believe the buns on their heads represent trees, while the purple clothes they wear represent bark (after dried, the cloth will be beaten to make it shiny and waterproof).
Basha men are also famous for their unique hairstyles. Like the men in the Qing dynasty, Basha men wear their long hair in braids. They attach great importance to their hair bun, which they believe is a symbol of masculinity, as well as an emblem of power. This is a hairstyle that ‘s existed for thousands of years.
Young boys in Basha walk around with a mullet, and they only take part in a shaving ceremony between the ages of seven and fifteen. The tribe leader wets a sickle with the water used to boil eggs, and shaves off all of the boy’s hair except for the central part, which is coiled into a bun. The blade caresses the scalp, and patches of hair fall to the ground. This shave is done without any shaving cream, or even a rinse. Boys get their first haircuts as a rite of passage, and then are given a hunting rifle at the age of 15 as a sign that they’ve become adults.
Being my last stop in Guizhou, Basha was THE HIGHLIGHT of this trip. While now open for tourists, the village is much less developed than the rest. And no one gives a damn about tourists, in fact there are very little shops selling souvenirs, except for the woven baskets traditionally used to hold rice. If you don’t care about culture, at least come for the Basha hamburger: pork belly slices lathered in soy sauce and ground chilli, placed on top of a grill and then sandwiched between two rice buns. Like Japanese MOS burger, but better. I asked for an extra pork slice in every single serving — and don’t ask how many burgers I had in the mere two days I was there.
While Basha is small, do try to stay overnight. There is an outdoor performance showcasing the marriage and hair shaving ceremonies daily, but the joy comes from merely wandering around. I stayed in Gu Feng Zhai 古风寨, one of the few accommodations available inside the village. Not only it is clean and tastefully decorated (I even asked whether the owner worked in design before, apparently not, he used to work in other inns and is apparently blessed with an eye for aesthetics), it also has a majestic view overlooking the rice terrace and other villages AND the friendliest, most capable host.
The owner/host built the inn himself and when I visited, he was fixing the fence so the next morning, we went off to the forest to collect some bamboos. Later when I had the afternoon off, I helped him install the fence and finally learnt how to use an electric drill! If you are staying at his, bring him some cigarettes — he’ll love you for it.
How to get here: From Zhaoxing, you can take the shared minivan for 80 RMB (45km). Book the ride in Zhaoxing.Ticket: 20 RMB.
Culture vs People
This trip to Guizhou has challenged my perception and made me seen the thin line between heritage and tourism, and how both directly impact the lives of the locals.
On one hand, the ethnic minorities in this area lives in timber houses which is awful in terms of temperature control where the winter is ‘blessed’ with high humidity, making everything feels damp and cold. Let’s not start on the acoustics, on top of the chickens, I could hear the people in the building next door as if they were in a room next to me.
At the end of the day, the locals, just like us are opting for better lives. However for the purpose of preservation, the villagers can’t alter their residence. The most they could do was to install AC. If you can afford to, you wouldn’t want to live in a damp, cold houses one third of the year either.
On the other hand, if everyone starts building concrete houses, tourism plummets and what would happen to the locals’ livelihood? Moreover, I have witnessed how in Baduy, Indonesia, modernization is the exact opposite of becoming civilized. So the difficult, difficult question is how do we preserve cultures AND improve lives at the same time?
^Minivan ride are my main method of transportation from one town to another. This the popular choice for locals without cars, because the buses routes or timetables are often limited. In addition, being remote, many of these small towns and villages aren’t located strategically next to train stations (some of which, like the one in Libo are still being built). Bear in mind that drivers will usually wait until the van is full. Rates written above are as of October 2020.
This post is part of the Life in China series.1. China Survival Guide
Apps that will make your Chinese experience a whole lot better2. China Through Films
Cinematic trips into the voyage of the breathtaking world of traditional and contemporary China, and whatever lies in between.3. Beijing Coronavirus Diary: Part 1
and the rest of my my Life in Coronavirus series, which details my experience as a bystander in the midst of the pandemic in China.I hope they will help you begin to understand this mind-boggling country.
