Zhaoxing Dong Village

Zhaoxing Dong Village is located in the southeastern part of Liping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, covering an area of 180,000 square meters. As of the 2012 statistics, there are more than 1,100 households and over 6,000 residents, making it one of the largest Dong villages in the country, and it is known as the 'No.1 Dong Village'. Zhaoxing Dong Village is situated in Liping County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province, and is the largest Dong village in the Dong areas of Qiandongnan. It is also the center of Dong ethnic folk culture. By 2012, the village had more than 1,100 households and over 6,000 residents. Zhaoxing Dong Village is surrounded by mountains, with the village built in a mountain basin, where two streams converge into a river that flows through the village. The houses in the village are stilted buildings with dry columns, arranged in an orderly fashion, all constructed of fir wood, with hard mountain tops covered with small green tiles, simple and practical. Zhaoxing Dong Village is divided into 'inner surnames' and 'outer surnames', with all the external surnames being of the Dong ethnicity with the surname Lu. It is divided into five major clans, which reside in five natural areas, locally known as 'Tuan'. These are divided into the Ren Tuan, Yi Tuan, Li Tuan, Zhi Tuan, and Xin Tuan. Zhaoxing Dong Village is the core attraction of the Liping Dong Township Scenic Area, and in 2005 it was selected by 'China National Geography' as one of the 'six most beautiful ancient towns and villages in China'. In 2007, it was chosen by 'Trendy Travel' and 'National Geographic' as one of the '33 most attractive travel destinations in the world'. Zhaoxing Dong Village is entirely composed of the Dong ethnicity with the surname Lu, divided into five major clans, residing in five natural areas, locally known as 'Tuan'. These are divided into the Ren Tuan, Yi Tuan, Li Tuan, Zhi Tuan, and Xin Tuan. Zhaoxing is not only the hometown of drum towers but also a place of song and dance, with Dong song teams and Dong opera troupes.