 |
| Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou |
 |
| Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village by Night |
Friday March 21 2025 (Day 4 ) Part 2 - spent an afternoon & evening plus a Miao long table banquet dinner in Qianhu Miao Village - the highlight of today's visit.
1) After our tour bus dropped off, our tour group made a short walk to the visitor centre of Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village
2) Sightseeing No 3 - Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou - literally means the thousand households village (estimated 1,400 households & 6,000 people) is the largest Miao village in China, rich in Miao culture, language, Miao architecture, traditional costume & clothing, skill in silver wares / jewellery, Miao cuisine, houses on wooden stilts etc now a very touristy village, many shops & commercial activities resulting in high daily turnout of visitors / tourists especailly in the evening when the entire village is lighted up !
3) Welcoming baijiu (home-made rice wine) & traditional Miao dance & music as a gesture of goodwill & greeting for visitors entering the Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village.
4) Queuing for a shuttle bus to enter the front entrance of the Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village
5) The front entrance of Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou - the starting point of of our tour group visit to this Miao Village.
6) Ancient Street, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou
e
7) Miao traditional costume / dressing for renting / photography session in Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village - all our tour members on Globalite package tour were given complimentary renting of Miao costume for a photography session, both my wife & myself opted out & made use of our time strolling the 6 Wind & Rain bridges & the surrounding areas.
8) Baishui River, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village - also known as Xijiang River, originates from wengbaki on the north slope of Leigong Mountain, flows into Qingshui River through Xijiang River & then into the Yantze River, the total length of the river in the territory is 16.8km, the drainage area is 66 sq km, the natural drop is 768m & there are 10 large & small waterfalls from east to west, it is named after its shape like a beautiful white cloth, its water quality is clear & bright which has nourished Xijiang people, generation after generation !
9) Youfang Street, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou - Youfang is an expression of free love between Miao young men & women, whenever the Miao Village has new festivals, climbing festivals, the Miao new year & other festivals & leisure time, there are sightseeing activities, Youfang street is a place for Xijiang Miao young men & women to sing love songs, express their feelings & talk about love, walking here, you cannot only enjoy the beautiful scenery along the street, but also witness the scene of Miao young men & women singing to each other.
10) Outdoor tourism signboards on Thousand Households Miao Village, Xijiang depicting Miao culture, customary practice, festival, ceremony, Miao traditional wear, food gathering etc
11) Huilong Bridge, Xijiang Qianhu Mioa Village, Guizhou - the bridge has many special meaning in the daily life of the Miao people, in addition to the cultivation of yin & the collection of merit, pray for more family members, bless the children to grow up & prosper, the elderly to live a happy life, besides facilitating production & living transportation, the intention of building the bridge is also different.
Huilong Bridge is located at the end of the Xijiang Miao Village, it is also called "Stop the Dragon (Fish) bridge, as the name suggests, it means to stop the dragon, the Miao family believed that the Dragon could not only bring rain to the village & protect the village, but also attract money & treasure to protect the Jinshan, Yinshan & Lushan mountains of the Miao Village, there is a Miao proverb that "people guard the stronghold & dragon guard money", it is because of the construction of this bridge to stop the dragon & keep the wealth
12) No 1 Covered Bridge Station, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou - the bus route is from the starting No 1 Covered Bridge to the terminal station Viewing Deck, the Viewing Deck is the best place to enjoy the morning & night scene & the whole scene, there are long viewing pavilions on both side of the Deck, you can see the magnificence of this famous "Qianhu Miao Village" at home & abroad, here is the evidence of "Xijiang Miao Village", along the way, there are Ancient Well, Cunyan & other attractions.
13) Wind & Rain Bridge No 1, Xijiang Qianghu Miao Village, Guizhou - standing on Bridge No 1, the surrounding scenery on both sides of the bridge was picturesque & attractive !
14) Wind & Rain Bridge No 2, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou - Bridge No 2 attracted a number of tourists, young & elderly dressed in Miao traditional dressing posing for pictures as on both sides of bridge, the scenery background was stunning !
15) Wind & Rain Bridge No 3, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou - scenic views of the Qianhu Miao Village on both sides of the bridge, professional photographers had a heyday snatching pictures of the surroundings & for tourists who dressed in Miao traditional costume posing for pictures for remembrance !
16) Wind & Rain Bridge No 5, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village
17) Wind & Rain Bridge No 6, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou - I believe I had visited all the bridges in this fascinating Miao village given the short period of time here !
18) Silver Collar, Xijiang Qianhu Village Guizhou - also known as the "The Thousand Year Hoop", a decoration worn on the neck of the children, wearing a silver collar on a child indicates that parent value their children & place their hopes & future on them, according their superstitious customs, the silver collar is said to ward off evils & bring good luck, bless children with no illness or pain & be easy to care for, in the sense, the silver collar is a reliance on hope !
19) McDonald's, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou - a Miao style burger ?
20) Stray walking in Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village using our spare hours loitering around the area - you won't get lost, just follow the riverside & walk along the Wind & Rain bridges ....
21) Long row of Miao traditional dwellings / houses / commercial buildings of Xijiang Qianghu Miao Village perching on the edge of Baishui River & hill slope - an unusual sight, night view looks most attractive !
22) Eatery outlets & restaurants serving / selling Miao food & local delicacies including baijiu, tea etc in the commercial streets of Xijiang Qinaghu Miao Village, Guizhou - you won't go hunry here, the Miao food will take care of you !
23) Shops selling silverwares / jewellery in Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou - buy a piece if you have a deep pocket !
24) Mio long table banquet dinner - when in Rome do as what Romans do. In Miao village, just follow the lead & do as what Miao people do ! Young Miao girls in traditional clothes are singing going round the table inviting guests to drink as much baijiu (rice wine) .... a fun-filled evening & plenty of food to eat & passing around !
25) Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village by Night - this was the best part of our tour group's visit to Qianhu Miao village in the evening when the entire place was lighted up looking like a fantasy land - highly visible, vibrant & lively ! A starry starry night, a beautiful Miao village by night ! Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village is probably in the same league with 2 of the ancient towns I had visited ie Lijiang, Yunnan (2010 & 2014) & Fenghuang Ancient Town, Hunan (2012), these small ancient country towns are renowned for its natural beauty, rich history, colorful ethnic customs & photogenic night scenery ! A long queue of visitors was seen at the front entrance of the Miao Village at around 19.00 - the best time to see & admire this Miao village's beauty ! So make a date & include these 3 ancient country towns in your next visit to China !
26) After the dinner & an evening sightseeing visit in Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village (the night scene was simply gorgeous & stunning), it was time for us to exit this wonderful village & our next destination (a short bus ride) for a late hotel (Qin Yun Shan Fang Hotel, Xijiang) check-in & a good rest !
No comments:
Post a Comment