Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village in Qiandongnan

Why is Xijiang Miao Village so Special?

Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village is a place where the Miao people's "primitive ecology" culture is preserved. It is connected by more than 10 natural villages built around mountains. It is currently the largest Miao village in China and even in the world. It is a place to appreciate and understand the long history and development of the Miao people in China.

Where is Xijiang Miao Village

Northeast of Leishan county, Guizhou Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province.

Xijiang Town is the largest gathering place of Miao nationality in China and even in the world. There are about ten natural villages of Miao nationality. Miao culture is best preserved here. According to the latest statistics, there are about 1,288 families with a total population of about 6,000 people living there. 99.5% of the local people are Miao.

More than 5,000 years ago, due to the war, most Miao ancestors were forced to start their first great migration. Miao tribes came here and settled down here.

Main Attractions of Xijiang Miao Village

In Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, layer upon layer of closely connected wooden-stilted houses are built along the contour of the hill with the Baishui River passing through the bottom of the mountain. Wind-rain bridges connect the banks of the river. During the day the sunlight makes the red wood board shine brightly, and in the evening, smoke from the chimneys spirals, forming a white belt around the mountain's waist.

• Miao Museum: The 11 exhibition halls in the museum show all aspects of Miao people's life, including culture, clothing, living behavior, customs, architecture and art etc. At the entrance to the museum, tourists need to show their village tickets.

• Song and Dance Performance: The old Miao songs sung by the old people in the village are very good. There are two performances every day, one at around 11:30 and the other at around 17:00 in the square. The exact performance time is a little different every day, so I suggest you confirm the schedule when you are there.

• Two streets: Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village has two main streets, one is an ancient street and the other is a modern Youfang street. Besides the unique shops, there are many snack shops, restaurants and silverware shops on the old street.

• The primitive life style of Miao nationality: if one wants to enjoy the local life, wandering around may be the best way. Roaming in wooden stilt houses and winding alleys, travelers can see and absorb the real local life. Around Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, people can see the terrace and appreciate the way the local people work on the farm.

• Village Panorama: The best place to view the panorama of Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village is the sightseeing platform. Many tourists like to take photos here. If you are interested, you can even rent a traditional Miao costume. Watching the night scene on the platform is the most wonderful thing. The lights of different houses twinkle in the dark, making the night charming. It is really worth seeing.

Best Time to Travel Xijiang Miao Village

The best time to pay a visit is all year round.

Miao village is located on the edge of Yunnan-Guizhou plateau, surrounded by mountains. Miao village has been an amphibious transportation center since ancient times. Miao village, as a famous cultural city, is rich in tourism resources. Miaozhai has a subtropical humid climate with an annual average temperature of 16.4 degrees and four distinct seasons. Therefore, it is an ideal tourist destination all the year round.

How to Get There

• By Bus: From Guiyang East Bus Station, there are two direct buses to Xijiang at 09:00 and 15:00. The bus fare is around CNY80. Or one can take a bus to Kaili from the Guiyang East Bus Station taking about two hours. Then from Kaili General Bus Station, there are frequent buses to Xijiang, and it takes about one hour.
• By Train: If one chooses the train, you need to reach Kaili first. From Guiyang, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, there are direct trains to get there. Upon reaching, take the local public bus line 1 from Kaili Railway Station or bus line 21 from South Railway Station to reach Kaili General Bus Station to find the buses for Xijiang.

Useful Travel Tips

• Admission fee: 90 yuan
• There are sightseeing buses in 20 yuan, including two bus routes. One route is from the entrance of the old street, and the other is from Yufeng bridge 1 to the sightseeing platform. One ticket can take four buses. It is acceptable to buy bus tickets separately. The price is 5 yuan each time.
• Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village has many local festivals. Among them, the most active are the New Year (the 1st to 15th of the 12th lunar month) and the Ancient City Festival held every 13 years. The last festival was in 2010.
• Local wooden stilt houses provide good accommodation conditions and are suitable for sightseeing, but the sound insulation effect is poor. In addition, these houses lack fire prevention measures.
• Fine silver artworks and articles can be bought as souvenirs. The famous Sijiang silversmith village is located in the Xijiang river, where all silverware is handmade. There are many restaurants in the street. Common snacks include glutinous rice cake, fried potatoes, fried tofu and sour fish soup.
• We suggest you take your backpack with you when traveling in the village, instead of dragging heavy luggage. Some roads are paved with cobblestones, and dragging luggage on stone roads may be a difficult job.
• Nearby attractions: Langde Temple Village: Langde Village is about 2 hours away from Xijiang Town. If you plan to go there, you can change trains from leishan county.

Nearby attractions

• Leigongshan Nature Reserve
• Qinglong Cave Ancient Architectures
• Nanhua Village in Kail, Qiandongnan
• Kaili Ethnic Museum, Qiandongnan
• Xiasi Scenic Area in Kaili, Qiandongnan
• Flying Clouds Cliff  in Qiandongnan

Edited by Doreen/张洋