Natural Creation - Terraced Fields, Morning Mist, and Mountain-River Panorama
The landscape of Zhaoxing is a masterpiece of a thousand years of collaboration between humans and nature, a three-dimensional agricultural and mountain-water painting.
Tang'an Terraced Fields and Ridge Hiking: A 3-kilometer hike from Zhaoxing leads to the more primitive Tang'an Dong Village. This mountain path is hailed as "one of China's seven most beautiful hiking routes". Along the way are layers of spectacular terraced fields that change colors with the seasons: mirror-like in spring, wave-like green in summer, golden in autumn, and snow-white in winter. Hiking here is like walking on the contour lines of the earth.
Village Gate Scenery and Rural Landscape: Zhaoxing Dong Village is located in a narrow valley between two mountains, with a stream flowing through the village. In the morning, mist rises from the valley, enveloping the stilt houses and drum towers, creating a fairyland-like scene. At dusk, the setting sun dyes the terraced fields and wooden buildings a warm golden color. The fields around the village rotate with the seasons, growing rice, rape, and other crops, forming a vibrant rural backdrop.
Secret Realm of Houlong Mountain: The mountain forest behind the village is the "sacred mountain" in the hearts of the Dong people, lush with trees and accessible by a path. It is the best place to overlook the entire Zhaoxing Dong Village, with the pointed roofs of the five drum towers in full view, allowing a deeper understanding of the Dong people's wisdom of "living by the mountains and water".
Human Ingenuity - The Wooden Epic Without a Single Nail or Rivet
The buildings here are not just homes but a condensation of the Dong people's cosmology, social structure, and artistic aesthetics.
Drum Tower Cluster: The Soul of the Village, the Heart of the Clan Zhaoxing boasts five grand and diverse drum towers, each representing a major clan. They are not only symbols of the clan names but also the core public spaces for deliberation, rest, socializing, and festivals. Among them, the "Wisdom" clan drum tower (with eleven eaves) is the most elegant, and the "Benevolence" clan drum tower (with seven eaves) is the liveliest. At night, when the lights are on, the drum towers become the warmest and most brilliant center. Flower Bridges (Rain and Wind Bridges): Poetic Dwelling
Several flower bridges spanning the streams feature elaborately carved corridor houses and are exemplary of the Dong people's "covered bridge" architecture. They serve not only as convenient transportation facilities but also as romantic places to shelter from the elements and for young people to sing and court. Sitting on the benches in the bridge corridors and watching the flowing water and the houses by the stream is the best way to experience the slow pace of life in a Dong village.
Dong Grand Chorus: The Flowing "Intangible Cultural Heritage"
This is by no means a stage performance but an integral part of the Dong people's life. You may come across spontaneous practice sessions by singing groups under the drum towers or beside the stage. The multi-part, a cappella, and unaccompanied natural harmonies, like the chirping of cicadas and the flowing of water, are artistic expressions of the harmony between man and nature. Organized performances every night at the performance venue offer a good opportunity to systematically listen to this "heavenly sound."
Stilt Houses and Pebble Paths: The continuous stilt houses, in harmony with the mountain terrain and arranged in a staggered pattern, have their lower floors elevated to prevent dampness and pests and to facilitate the raising of livestock. The winding pebble paths between the houses, smoothed and polished by time, offer a pleasant walk where the sound of footsteps echoes with the resonance of history.
Dong Cloth Workshops and Batik: Venturing into the deep alleys, you often hear the "thump thump" sound of wooden mallets pounding Dong cloth. Dong cloth, repeatedly dyed with indigo and pounded, has a lustrous metallic sheen and unique texture. Watching women spin, dye, and pound the cloth is a vivid lesson in witnessing the living inheritance of an ancient craft.
Photography Tips:
- Panoramic Viewpoints: The viewing platform on Houlong Mountain or the mountain road on the west side of the village offer panoramic views of the Dong village, especially during the morning mist or at night.
- Close-ups of the Drum Tower: Use a wide-angle lens to shoot the intricate beam and pillar structure inside the drum tower from a low angle, which is visually stunning. At night, you can use a tripod to capture the drum tower illuminated by lights against the starry sky.
- Human Interest: Women pounding cloth on the street, elders chatting under the drum tower, and children playing on the flower bridge are all subjects full of the flavor of daily life.
- Seasonal Colors: Capture the Dong village surrounded by rape flowers in spring and golden terraced fields in autumn.
