Zhaoxing Dong Village and Their Colorful Celebrations

Zhaoxing Dong Village is located in Liping County in Guizhou Province in China. It is the largest and the most ancient Dong ethnic village in the world. In this village, there is the largest Dong drum tower group in China and this magnificent feature makes the place world famous. Zhaoxing won a place in the Guinness Book of World Records in the year 2001 due to Zhaoxing Drum Towers and Dong Villages. One of the famous cultural programs is Dong Opera, which is normally performed near the drum tower in an opera stage. Tourist can definitely put this cultural program into their travel itinerary

Tourist attractions
Surrounded by mountains, the village builds in the basin and a small river is flowing through it. There is beautiful nature scenery in the village, green hills and blue water. Tourists can be close to nature and feel the nature.
Zhaoxing Dong Village is famous for its unique drum tower group and is hailed as the “Township of Drum Tower Culture Art”. Different drum tower has different appearance, style and size. Drum tower is the symbol of good luck and prosperity in Zhaoxing Dong Village. It has a significant status in the village and people’s heart. Drum tower is a good place not just for entertainment, social contact, but for reception and holding meeting passing information. Not a single person among visitors but feels admired to the drum tower’s genius design.

Harvest celebrations
On every lunar August 18, Zhaoxing Dong Village holds the Mud Figure Festival, or also known as the Niren Festival. The festival is held after the harvest season. Apart from celebrating the harvest, people use the festival to express their deep worship and gratitude to the soil, because the soil is raising a generation after generation. This shows the deep connection of man with their agricultural soil. During the festival, all the people in the village, old and young, dress up to welcome the special day. Women are prepared the best meals at home. Young men and women are busy rehearsing songs and dances. Everyone is immersed in an ocean of joy of the festival. Tourists can take part in this festival if visiting Zhaoxing Dong village in the right time.
Niren festival starts officially after the lunch. The festival has two parts, one is in the mud and other is on the ground. The former is more important. The water in the fish pond will be pumped out. People will start rushing to the pond and competing to catch live fish as soon as the festival began. This is really a mud game as there is no water in the pond. Once people enter in to the pond they become muddy. The ground activities are mainly singing songs and playing Dong Opera. The celebration will continue till late night.

Travel tips:
The important travel transit points are Liuzhou and Guilin, both in Guangxi Province. Tourists can travel to Liping and disembark at Zhaoxing. The traveling time from Liping to Zhaoxing is three hours approximately by bus.