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Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village
2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village

8.6
4.3/5
26.6k reviews

Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village is a collection of over ten natural villages built along the mountainside, inhabited by the "Xi" clan of the Miao people. The village features layers of wooden stilt houses on the slopes, with coffee-colored old houses nestled against lush green mountains. The Baishui River divides the village in two. The side of the river (to the left after entering the Xiaobei Gate for travelers) is mainly a commercial pedestrian street, while the opposite side (to the right after entering the Xiaobei Gate for travelers) is primarily the viewing platform overlooking the village. Upon arriving at Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, you'll see a gate with the plaque "Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village" after getting off at the parking lot. From this gate to the village is a 1.5 km walk, which you can cover either by electric bikes or on foot. After this 1.5 km stretch, you'll encounter another gate similar to the one at the parking lot, also bearing the "Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village" plaque—this marks the true entrance to the village. First drink the welcoming wine, then enter the village. The first thing you see is the commercial pedestrian street, selling a dazzling array of Miao ethnic specialty products. The most eye-catching are the Miao silver ornaments. Kongbai in Xijiang town of Leishan near the Miao village is a well-known silversmith village, where almost all the men master the silver ornament making techniques, and the craftsmanship of Miao silver is exquisite. The performance venue in the pedestrian street area offers Miao ethnic song and dance shows. You can also visit the Xijiang Miao Ethnic Museum and the Drum Head's House (the Miao king's residence, where a bronze drum is enshrined). Alternatively, take a stroll along the Baishui River to see the wind-and-rain bridges with roofed eaves sheltering from the elements, or the low, narrow wooden plank bridges. At the end of the village lies a pastoral landscape, where even during peak season few visitors come. Across the river is a station for electric bikes to the viewing platform, but walking there isn't far, and several spots along the way offer excellent views. Upon reaching the viewing platform, wait for nightfall—the grand spectacle of Xijiang is just beginning. Thousands of lights illuminate from beneath the eaves of wooden stilt houses, dotted like stars to outline the entire Miao village in the shape of an ox head. It's hard to imagine such a brilliantly lit scene in a mountain village. Returning to the viewing platform at dawn, the Miao village is shrouded in mist as the first sunlight gilds the wooden houses golden. Smoke curls up from chimneys, marking the start of a new day. In Miao villages, you can often see Miao women with their hair buns coiled on top of their heads and adorned with large flowers. Just looking isn't enough—you can also rent a few sets of Miao costumes to dress up as a Miao woman yourself. It's especially beautiful and very popular among young women. Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village has mature tourism development, with no worries about food and accommodation. For dining, the famous option is the long-table banquet. Restaurants in the village will often ask if you'd like to try it—simply joining tables to make them longer counts as a long-table banquet, serving as a fun experience. The authentic long-table banquet is held outdoors, with dozens of tables connected end-to-end, sometimes so long that you can't see from one end to the other. These are set up during important festivals or when significant group tours visit, so don't miss the chance if you encounter one. The cuisine of southeastern Guizhou tends to be sour, and the village's specialty dishes include sour fish soup, pickled vegetables, and cured meat.

Leishan · 16 km from downtown
Zhaoxing Dong Village
No. 2 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Guizhou

Zhaoxing Dong Village

7.7
4.4/5
4.9k reviews

Zhaoxing Dong Village has a Dong village recorded in the Guinness World RecordsDrum tower cluster of Dong village,Drum towerEach has its own distinctive features. Zhaoxing, originally named "Zhaodong," is a long, narrow east-west valley where two small streams converge into a river that flows through the village, spanned by severalWind and rain bridge,Wind and rain bridgeIt is named after the long corridor-style bridge house built on it, which provides shelter from wind and rain. Zhaoxing Dong Village has fiveDrum tower, distributed among five regiments in the village, in the order of "Ren tuan drum tower", "Yi tuan drum tower", "Li tuan drum tower", "Zhi tuan drum tower", "Xin tuan drum tower", hence collectively known asDrum towerArts and culture village.Drum towerIt is the landmark of the Dong village, resembling a pagoda in appearance with an imposing grandeur, standing out prominently even before entering the settlement.Drum towerA drum was usually hung above, and in the past, when the village faced invasion, fire, or needed to discuss matters, someone would climb up to beat the drum, summoning the villagers.Drum towerHence the name.Drum towerIt is the venue for village meetings, establishing regulations, and addressing issues, as well as a place for villagers to rest and engage in activities after work. Ren tuan drum towerIs one of the shorter ones in the villageDrum tower, next toWind and rain bridge, behind which is the opera stage, the drum tower, opera stage, andWind and rain bridgeCan all be displayed on the same platform. Behind the Yituan drum tower is also an opera stage, and in front of the stage is a large platform. This platform is an open space in Zhaoxing, so many Dong song performances take place here. Behind the Litian drum tower is a Sasui altar. Climb up the grain-drying field next to the Sasui altar, and you'll see another perspective ofDrum tower. Zhituan drum tower is a Xieshan-style drum tower in Zhaoxing. Following the river downstream from Zhituan drum tower leads to Xintuan drum tower, which is closer to the main street. The village houses are stilted wooden structures built with fir wood, featuring flush gable roofs covered with small black tiles—simple, practical, and neatly tiered. For a panoramic view of the village, head to the viewing platform near Zhaoxing Middle School on the hillside behind the village, where you can take in the overlapping black-tiled roofs and the pointed tops of drum towers. At night, the drum towers and flower bridges light up, their reflections shimmering on the river. The main street is dotted with small shops and bars, and villagers often gather by the drum towers to sing Dong grand songs spontaneously. During festivals like Spring Festival, Grain Rain Festival, June 6th, and Dong New Year, the village comes alive with grand song performances, dance circles, and long-table feasts. Highlights include eating black rice and face-painting during Grain Rain Festival, as well as the Sa worship and "carrying the official" rituals during Dong New Year. The riverside path from Yi Group Drum Tower to Ren Group Drum Tower is the best-preserved core area of stilted houses, lined with shops perfect for leisurely exploration. Drum towers, grand songs, and wind-and-rain bridges are known as the "three treasures of Dong culture," all of which can be fully experienced in Zhaoxing.

Liping · 36.4 km from downtown
Gao Guo He Scenic Area
No. 10 of Family-friendly Attractions in Guizhou

Gao Guo He Scenic Area

6.7
4.3/5
225 reviews

Gaoguohe Scenic Area is a canyon-type tourist attraction, consisting of virgin forest canyons, deep pools, dangerous beaches, waterfalls and torrents. Within the scenic area of 40 square kilometers, there are rich original ecological vegetation, towering ancient trees, exotic flowers and plants, and a wide variety. It is a large natural botanical garden. Thousand-year-old trees in the area, osmanthus magnolia in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and national first- and second-level protected tree species such as southern yew, podocarpus, metasequoia, ginkgo, etc. can be seen everywhere; The waterfall is beautiful, the combination of movement and stillness, full of wild interest; among the green mountains and green waters, there are natural murals, strange peaks and strange rocks from time to time. Among them, there are 3 national first-class scenic spots and more than 20 second-class scenic spots. Masculinity, danger, strangeness, seclusion, beauty and beauty intertwine with each other, and the fortune is magical, especially the unique Gu'er Waterfall, which is majestic, handsome and extraordinary. The annual average temperature is 12.5°C. It enjoys the reputation of "leisure resort, holiday paradise". The unique charm of high river rafting is an exciting and refreshing project for high river tourism. The rafting section has a total length of 10 kilometers and a rafting drop of 200 meters, suitable for all ages. While enjoying the adventure and excitement, you can also experience the lingering and amazing canyon landscape on both sides of the river. It is a compound provincial-level scenic spot for sightseeing, vacation and summer vacation, and ancient exploration.

Zhenyuan County · 27.2 km from downtown

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[Depart from Guiyang] One-day tour to Xijiang Miao Village with thousands of households | Stilted houses layered with lush greenery
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4.0/5
· 1 review
Duration: 10.7 hrs
English
Free cancellation
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FromCAD 62.03
Private Guided Day Tour from Guiyang to Zhenyuan Ancient Town, Qinglong Cave Scenic Area, and Shiping Mountain
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FromCAD 100.68
[Departing from Guiyang] Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village Day Tour (Exploring the Millennium Miao Frontier)
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FromCAD 73.24
Guiyang Private Day Tour to Xijiang Miao Village (China's Finest Miao Village)
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Duration: 3 hrs
English
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FromCAD 119.04

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What travellers say about Qiandongnan

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ystephieNovember 5, 2026
5.0
Pretty nice experience. Miao village is beautiful. The ticket however only gives you a single 24 hour bus pass and you'll need to buy another bus pass if you stay longer than a day.

Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village

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Over the corners of the known worldNovember 1, 2026
4.0
Zhaoxing dong provides a unique dive into the life and customs of the Dong people. It is a great single-day destination with an option to hike to the nearby Tong'an rice fields on the mountains. The commercialization is, sadly, visible, however, it is much less of a concern than it could be. There are plenty of options to try Dong cuisine, see their crafts and even watch a show. I recommend visiting Zhaoxing for a single day.

Zhaoxing Dong Village

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可爱的旅游生活89October 31, 2026
5.0
Zhenyuan Ancient Town is a 5A-level ancient town in Guizhou with a history of over a thousand years. The S-shaped water system of the Wuyang River creates a unique Tai Chi landscape. The biggest highlight is that the ancient town is open to the public free of charge, with restrained commercialization, preserving a strong local atmosphere. The stilted buildings, ancient alleys, and Zhusheng Bridge are highly recognizable, and the night view has a remarkable atmosphere, making it suitable for leisure, relaxation, and photography.

Zhenyuan Ancient Town

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英雄总迟到August 21, 2026
4.0
VIPs have a dedicated reception center with shuttle service and a special lane to the starting point (this convenience is only available when there are many people; otherwise, there's no need to queue). However, there's room for improvement in the service.

Gaoguohe Drifting

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M44***75October 31, 2024
5.0
I have heard of Gaoguo River for a long time, but I have never seen its beauty. Hiking and sightseeing, the canyon scenery is very beautiful, the most unexpected is the 108-meter Guer Falls, very shocking! The whole journey is lush with vegetation and the river water is clear. I took two sightseeing buses along the way, and the total time was about 【Scenery】two and a half hours.

Gao Guo He Scenic Area

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_TI***i4October 12, 2026
5.0
A unique cultural experience in the village. We were all warmly greeted to the village by the local ethnic performers, and some tourists were also offered the local rice wine as gesture of hospitality. Overall a great experience!

Langde Miao Village Scenic Area

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Dave_LiNovember 3, 2026
4.0
Qinglong Cave is not just a cave—it is a breathtaking architectural marvel clinging to a sheer cliff face over the Wu Yang River.This site dates back to 1388 (Ming Dynasty) and evolved over centuries into what you see today. The Wanshou Palace was added in 1734 by Jiangxi merchants, and the Ziyang Academy (for Confucian studies) was founded in 1530. It's been rebuilt and restored through wars and fires, with major preservation efforts in the 1950s and 1980s. In 1988, it was designated a National Key Cultural Relic, and UNESCO recognized it as a "World Climbing Cliff Ancient Architecture Garden".What makes Qinglong Cave truly unique is its harmonious blend of faiths. You will find Buddhist temples, Taoist shrines, and Confucian academies coexisting side-by-side on the same mountain. You can genuinely feel the centuries of tolerance and spiritual energy in the air.

Qinglong Cave

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拉美西斯喵September 15, 2026
5.0
It was nice; I saw different views of the terraced fields during the day. At midnight, I glanced up and saw a sky full of stars. There's a walking path and a shuttle bus beside the road. At Terrace No. 5, you can walk all the way into the rice paddies.

Jiabang Terraced Fields

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刘闲人April 7, 2023
5.0
Shanmu River is located in the mountains of Shibing County, Qiandongnan Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. The annual water flow is 4.2 cubic meters per second. It is known as the "Mineral River" because of its pure water quality and safe self-guided rafting. If the scenery is the only attraction for tourists, Shanmu River is nothing in Guizhou, where there are many real mountains and real waters. However, as a river with fast currents, rafting on Shanmu River is another highlight in Guizhou. If you get permission, you can even drift directly to the county seat.

Shanmu River

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Anonymous userAugust 11, 2026
5.0
It rained heavily the night before, and for safety reasons, the rafting didn't start until noon. Although we waited a long time, it was still worth it. The canyon was serene, and the water quality was good. Except for the last section, which was a bit thrilling, the water was mostly calm, making it suitable for both the elderly and children.

Shanmu River Rafting

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