Zhaoxing in Guizhou
Wednesday, 5 November 2014Global Heritage Fund are working on the preservation of Dali, a Dong minority village in Guizhou province, but tourism has already arrived at some corners of the region. Notably in Zhaoxing, described in the Lonely Planet China guide as the ‘quintessential Dong village.’
▲ Rentuan drum tower & covered bridge
Dong clans each have their own drum tower and there are five of them in Zhaoxing, some of them with associated covered bridges – ‘wind and rain proof’ as some of the signs (in English) announce.
▲Yituan drum tower & covered bridge
▲ Revolutionary café
Tourism has grown remarkably rapidly in the last couple of years in Zhaoxing and the new high speed railway running across the state will bring it even closer to the outside world. Tourism is still predominantly Chinese, but the numerous signs in English show that foreign friends are also discovering the region.
An extensive new museum has opened recently and at the far end of the village from the bus and car park and the entrance gate the Tongsang Art Theme Hotel (tel 0855 609 8345) is an attractive new hotel which had just opened when I visited.
◄ Old & new, rice drying above, appliances on sales below,
After the rice harvest there was rice hanging over poles to dry all over town, indicating that farming is still an important activity.
▲ You’ll also see traditionally dyed indigo cloth hanging out to dry.
