Ethnic Guizhou: China's Dong New Year | 6-Day In-Depth Tour: Climbing, Praying, and Soaking in Hot Springs

Day 1 Various locations → or → Guiyang ★ Gathering day

All day

There is no specific itinerary for today. Tourists will check in at their own hotel in Guiyang. Simply provide "China-TravelNote+Name" to check in. We will meet in the evening for the pre-departure meeting. The specific time will be determined by the tour leader.

Recommended nearby attractions

After arriving in Guiyang, if you have time, you can go to Qianling Mountain Park to enjoy the "Nan Guo Sheng Jing" and the magnificent night view of Jiaxiu Tower, one of the ten famous towers in China. You can also visit Gongnan Pavilion, Cuiwei Pavilion, etc. along Fuyu Bridge. Climb Dongshan Temple to enjoy the beautiful night view of Guiyang.

Food recommendations

Old Town Food Street: Weiqing Road, Wenchang Pavilion, Minsheng Road Caijia Street, Wenchang North Road, and Shengfu Road are popular with locals for their authentic cuisine.

Qingyun Market: A place where snacks from all over Guizhou are gathered. Here you can taste a variety of snacks and there are exciting activities held from time to time.

Please be safe during free time.

Day 2 Guiyang → Libo Xiaoqikong → Rongjiang County

All day

After breakfast at the hotel, we will depart for Libo Xiaoqikong, where tourists will have fun in the afternoon.

Known as the "Emerald of the Earth" and the "Miracle of Karst Landforms," ​​Xiaoqikong Scenic Area is less crowded in autumn, with no long lines. Furthermore, the scenic changes throughout the route, along with its compact layout, create a fairyland-like experience. Tourists with cameras will likely fill up their memory cards.

After visiting Xiaoqikong, we drove to Rongjiang County to check in. In the evening, we were free to explore the delicious food in Southeast Guizhou!

Rongjiang is the venue for the "Village Evening" and "Village Super League". You can check in at the Village Super League Stadium on your own. If you are lucky, you can even watch the Village Super League game~

Driving distance: about 260 kilometers

Day 3 Rongjiang County → Liping County National Unity Parade → Zhaoxing Dong Village

All day

Today we will go to Liping County to participate in the Dong New Year activities.

We will gather at the appropriate time in the morning and set off for Liping County. The National Unity Parade will gather at noon and the parade time is 14:30-17:00 (parade route: Liping Gymnasium (assembly point) → Pingjiejiao (display point) → Pingjie Street (display point) → Nanquan Cultural Square). We will sing and dance with the local Dong friends. This year, there will be Han, Dong, Miao, Yao and other ethnic groups (3,000 people) in full costumes parading to showcase the culture of each ethnic group and celebrate the arrival of the Dong New Year together.

After the parade, go to Zhaoxing Dong Village

In Zhaoxing, the arrival of the Dong New Year has become a sea of ​​joy. A variety of experience activities allow everyone to participate and feel the happiness of their Dong compatriots.

In the evening, we arranged a special [Dong Village Long Table Banquet] and a wonderful toasting session. Everyone spent the Dong New Year together in laughter and joy.

After dinner, you can join the bonfire carnival organized by Zhaoxing Dong Village Scenic Area and watch the Dong New Year fireworks.

Note: Dong Village Long Table Banquet: If you cannot drink alcohol during the toasting portion of the long table banquet, you can tell the performers, but it is not mandatory.

Day 4 Zhaoxing Dong Village → Basha Miao Village → Zhenyuan Ancient Town

All day

After breakfast, we will go to Basha Miao Village, the last gunman tribe in the world.

We will have a wonderful and unique folk activity here: the mighty Basha men dressed in the characteristic costumes of the Black Miao people will play the Lusheng to welcome everyone's arrival; the brightly dressed Basha girls will offer gate-blocking wine in ox horn cups.

In the afternoon, we will leave Basha and go to Zhenyuan Ancient Town, which is known as the Venice of the East.

Zhenyuan, the ancient town of Tai Chi, is sure to delight you. The Wuyang River, the mother river, flows through the city in an S-shaped pattern, forming a Bagua diagram, earning it the nickname Bagua Ancient Town. Composed of three connected streets, the streets are lined with inns, restaurants, and shops. A wide variety of local snacks are available. When the lights come on, explore the nightscape of Zhenyuan, known as the "Little Phoenix," for a truly unique experience!

Note: Basha Miao Village Firearms Performance: This performance is a welcoming project for the scenic area and there is no separate charge. If it is cancelled due to reasons related to the scenic area, there will be no refund. Please understand.

Day 5 Zhenyuan Ancient City → Fanjing Mountain → Shiqian County

All day

After breakfast, we will depart for the Fanjing Mountain scenic area, one of the five famous Buddhist mountains in my country.

Fanjing Mountain, one of Guizhou's six landmark scenic spots and a sacred mountain in eastern Guizhou, is a captivating wonderland and natural oxygen bar. Renowned poet Wang Xinjian's poem "Crossing Fanjing Mountain" exemplifies its captivating beauty, offering a tranquil escape from worldly worries. Follow China-TravelNote as we ascend the Red Cloud Golden Summit and admire the Mushroom Rocks. Due to Fanjing Mountain's prime location, with luck, you can even witness vast seas of clouds. It's said that those with a connection to Buddhism can even witness the Buddha's halo at the summit. Here, we'll perform a prayer ceremony and make a wish for 2020. These wishes will be written on a prayer plaque and hung at the foot of Fanjing Mountain's Golden Summit. Hopefully, the wishes made in the pure land of Brahma, the Sky City, will soon be fulfilled!

After the tour, we will proceed to Shiqian Hot Spring Resort Hotel (please bring your own swimsuit). Shiqian Hot Spring, also known as Chengnan Hot Spring, is one of the oldest hot springs in China. Its facilities were built in the 34th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty (1606 AD) and have a history of more than 400 years.

At night, you can soak in the Shiqian Hot Spring to wash away your fatigue.

Day 6 Shiqian County → Guiyang Longdongbao Airport

All day

Tourists can sleep in and get enough rest to prepare for their return journey.

We will take a bus from Shiqian to Guiyang in due time and take you to the airport/high-speed rail station, thus ending our pleasant journey and looking forward to our next meeting.

Dong New Year of the Dong Ethnic Group: The Dong New Year is called "Ninggan" in the Dong language. For the Dong people, the Dong New Year is the "Winter Festival." As an agricultural people, the Dong pay close attention to the seasons, and the "Winter Festival" is an annual winter festival in Dong areas. "Dong New Year" is a later name, and in some areas, the Dong Winter Festival is celebrated with the same enthusiasm as the Han Chinese Spring Festival. In some areas, "eating winter" is called the "Little New Year," while the Spring Festival is the "Big New Year."

Zhaoxing Dong Village: Located in the southeastern part of Liping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, it covers 180,000 square meters and is home to over 6,000 residents in 1,000 households. It is one of the largest Dong villages in China and is known as the "First Village of the Dong Countryside." A key attraction in the Liping Dong Countryside Scenic Area, Zhaoxing Dong Village was selected as one of the "Six Most Beautiful Ancient Villages in China" by National Geographic China in 2005, and was jointly named one of the "33 Most Alluring Travel Destinations in the World" by Fashion Travel and National Geographic in 2007. Zhaoxing Dong Village is inhabited entirely by the Lu surname Dong people, divided into five major clans, each located in five natural areas, known locally as "tuan." These are Rentuan, Yituan, Lituan, Zhituan, and Xintuan. Zhaoxing is not only known as the hometown of drum towers but also as a place of song and dance, with Dong singing troupes and opera troupes resident in the village.

Copyright © China-TravelNote.com | All Rights Reserved