3-Day Tour in Qiandongnan | Classic Combo of Xijiang Miao Village and Zhaoxing Dong Village・Suitable for All Groups
Qiandongnan, a land illuminated by songs and silver ornaments. Here you will find the dazzling lights of the Thousand-Household Miao Village, the melodious harmony of the Dong Village drum towers, and the poetic terraced fields and sea of clouds—listen to stories with elders in the stilted buildings, accompany children in the indigo dye workshop, where every day feels like being immersed in a folk painting.
🗓️ Itinerary Overview
D1: Arrive in Kaili → Xijiang Thousand-Household Miao Village
D2: Xijiang Thousand-Household Miao Village → Zhaoxing Dong Village
D3: Zhaoxing Dong Village → Tang’an Terraced Fields → Return
🏮 Day 1: Searching for Songs in the Miao Village · Lights of Thousands of Homes
📍 Xijiang Thousand-Household Miao Village (4A, ticket 90 RMB, sightseeing bus 20 RMB/4 rides)
Core Highlights: The world’s largest Miao ethnic settlement, stilted buildings built along the mountain, lights at night like a galaxy. Elders take the sightseeing bus to the mountaintop viewing platform to see the panoramic "Thousand-Household Lights," select butterfly-patterned bracelets at the silver jewelry stalls (Miao silver 50-80 RMB each); children learn to dance the lusheng dance in "Gage Ancient Alley" (free experience), watch silversmiths craft silver jewelry (custom small pendants 30 RMB each), and chase after Miao girls wearing pleated skirts.
🕙 Opening Hours: All day
📸 Photo Spots: Viewing platform (panoramic shots of the thousand stilted buildings + night view), Wind and Rain Bridge (people and flowing water in the same frame)
💡 Tips: Free admission for seniors over 60 with ID; choose lower floors when staying in stilted building homestays for easier access for elders.
🍖 Recommended Dining: "Miao Family Courtyard" inside the village, must-try sour soup fish (68 RMB), glutinous rice wine (10 RMB/bowl), long table banquet experience (60 RMB/person), Miao girls’ toast songs create a great atmosphere.
🏨 Recommended Accommodation: "Xijiang Moon Homestay" (stilted building renovation with balcony), priced 200-300 RMB/night, with frog croaking sounds at night.
Drum Tower Day 2: Listening to Sounds in Dong Village · Fun with Indigo Dyeing
📍 Zhaoxing Dong Village (4A, ticket 80 RMB)
Core Highlights: "China’s Most Beautiful Dong Village," five drum towers correspond to five areas, Dong grand songs are called "heavenly sounds." Elders listen to the choir at "Zhizhai Drum Tower" (free, starts at 3:00 PM), watch elders spin Dong cloth; children learn tie-dyeing at the "Indigo Workshop" (50 RMB/piece, take-home allowed), paint small handprints with indigo dye, buy small Dong cloth pouches (20 RMB each).
🕙 Opening Hours: All day
📸 Photo Spots: Dong village main gate (panoramic shots of drum tower group), dye workshop (indigo vat and children’s smiling faces)
💡 Tips: The drive from Xijiang to Zhaoxing takes 2 hours, car rental recommended (200 RMB); electric carts inside the village cost 10 RMB/person, suitable for elders.
🍖 Recommended Dining: "Dong Family Restaurant," must-try pickled fish (48 RMB), oil tea (8 RMB/bowl), average 40 RMB per person, sour and appetizing.
🏨 Recommended Accommodation: "Tianzhiyi Courtyard" (near drum tower, with courtyard), priced 250-350 RMB/night, wake up to birdsong in the early morning.
🌾 Day 3: Walking the Terraced Fields · Exploring the Ancient Path
📍 Tang’an Terraced Fields (free, includes sightseeing bus with Zhaoxing ticket)
Core Highlights: "Terraced fields in the clouds," winding from the foot to the top of the mountain, forming a stunning picture with the Dong village. Elders take the sightseeing bus (20 RMB/person) to Tang’an Village, watch Dong sacrificial ceremonies at "Sasui Hall"; children chase dragonflies on the ridges, pick rice ears to play with, learn to wield sickles like farmers (experience 10 RMB/time).
🕙 Suggested Time: 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (morning mist makes the terraced fields look like a fairyland)
📍 Xiage Ancient Path (free)
Core Highlights: A thousand-year-old path connecting Tang’an and Zhaoxing, stone slabs pass through bamboo forests and streams. Elders walk the gentle 1 km section and rest on stone benches by the stream; children play in the water, pick wild chrysanthemums, listen to guides tell stories of "ancient path porters," the full route is 3 km, easy and stress-free.
💡 Tips: Bring sun hats and water, no shops on the ancient path; for elders, consider one-way car ride and one-way walking.
🍖 Recommended Dining: "Return Restaurant" at Zhaoxing village entrance, last meal with Dong smoked pork stir-fried with bracken (38 RMB), glutinous rice (5 RMB/portion), average 35 RMB per person, a nostalgic local flavor.
✨ Qiandongnan Survival Guide
1️⃣ Transportation: Taxi from Kaili city to Xijiang 80 RMB (1 hour); car rental from Xijiang to Zhaoxing 200 RMB (2 hours); inside villages rely on sightseeing buses/walking, suitable for slow exploration.
2️⃣ Clothing: Wear light jackets in spring and autumn (cool mornings and evenings), short sleeves + mosquito-proof pants in summer (many mosquitoes in terraced fields), down jackets in winter (mountain area is damp and cold), bring non-slip shoes (many stone slabs).
3️⃣ Taboos: Do not block the toast with your hand in Miao villages (just sip); keep quiet during Dong choir performances; do not step on rice seedlings in terraced fields.
4️⃣ Accommodation: Stay in stilted buildings in Xijiang on Day 1, stay in Zhaoxing Dong Village on Day 2 for an immersive experience.
🛍️ Must-Buy Souvenirs
① Miao silver pendants (butterfly/cow horn shapes, 30-50 RMB each, handmade)
② Dong cloth notebooks (indigo dyed, 25 RMB each, artistic and practical)
③ Sour soup fish seasoning pack (20 RMB/bag, recreate Miao flavors at home)
④ Zhenyuan ginger candy (15 RMB/bag, sweet and spicy, loved by elders and children)
The soul of Qiandongnan is the lively sound of Miao silver jewelry being hammered, the clear songs drifting from Dong villages, and the abundant waves of rice in the terraced fields. Whether you listen to harmony once with your parents at the drum tower, dye a piece of cloth with your child in the indigo workshop, or chase the sunset with friends in the terraced fields, every moment here holds the most vivid folk memories. If you come to Qiandongnan, would you want to see the lights in the Miao village first or listen to the songs in the Dong village?