Transportation
Zhaoxing Dong Village is very close to the high speed train station in Congjiang, which is located on the Guiyang-Guangzhou line, and a lot of places can directly take the high speed train to Congjiang. I took the high-speed rail from Guiyang to Congjiang station, only more than one hour and forty minutes, through the Longli North, Sandu County (you can go to Libo from here) that is, to the Congjiang station, out of the station on the right side of the bus station, there is a direct to Zhaoxing Dong Village of the Chinese bus, ten minutes to arrive.
The first gate of the Dong village is a vast square in front of the first gate, the 2018 Spring Festival Gala branch venue that is here, one side of the square stands a silver moon shaped Dong headdress, the center of the square is being built drum tower. There is a parking lot opposite the gate of the fortress, so if you are driving, you can park your car here, buy a ticket and then either hike or take a sightseeing bus into the fortress. If you take a Chinese bus, the driver will ask you to get off the bus and buy a ticket, and then get on the bus to enter the fortress.
Living
There are many inns in Dongzhai, and I stayed in Lan Cao Xin Inn by Zhaoxing River. The name of the inn is "Lan Cao Xin", I think it has a meaning, "Lan" means the elegance of orchid, and most of the flowers decorated in the inn are orchids. Grass, the exuberant vitality of grass. Xin is the rising sun. I like this feeling.
The inn is a small wooden three-story building with a café on the first floor. The decorative cabinets along the walls are filled with colorful ornaments, and the cuttings of hanging orchids in small vases are overflowing with life.
The summer orchid by the service counter emits a fresh fragrance.
The small flowers of various colors are blooming outside the window ...... It is a wonderful feeling to sit idly by the small window, either reading a book or chatting, listening to the sound of the crashing river outside the window, and looking at the dry-railed wooden buildings across the river.
I live on the second floor, up the steps, hanging on the walls of the hanging orchids to welcome guests. Orchids are also placed in front of the door of the guest room, and the ironing machine quietly stored in the hallway makes me feel at home.
The rooms are small but cozy. The wooden windows are very original, and through the white curtains, you can see the wooden houses of the Dong family across the street. Grass green floor curtains and wooden windows are extremely harmonious, small vase cuttings of orchids, placed on the wooden shelf. Push open the window, drifting moist wind, the water of the river flowing, the opposite side of the small building of the window half-open half-covered.
Toiletries placed in the bathroom are also commonly used brands in the family, which can be seen in the details of the innkeeper's attention.
The innkeeper of Lan Cao Xin Inn, Mr. Liu, is a recent college graduate from Qiandongnan, and he is kind and capable. He is kind and capable, steady and humorous. Sometimes we chatted in front of the door, he talked about his work and life, opposite the Dong family wooden building, there are his new friends in the neighborhood here. When his friends are busy, he takes care of their children. From his soft description, we felt the warmth between him and his neighbors, and this warmth was also given to us, the tourists.
Three treasures of Dong village: Dong big song
I was lucky that when I arrived at the Dong village, it was the festival of the Dong family, June 6, which is their Zongzi Festival (they don't celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival of Han Chinese), and during the festival, we eat Zongzi and sing the Dong big song to celebrate the festival. When Liu picked me up, he told me that there was a performance competition for the Dong songs in the afternoon at the showground.
The great song of the Dong ethnic group originated in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. It has a history of more than 2,500 years. In 1986, at the Golden Autumn Festival in Paris, France, the Dong Da Song was unveiled and was recognized as "music that sparkles like a clear spring, a melody that sweeps over the edge of ancient dreams". 2009, the Dong Da Song was listed as a representative work of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Performances
The long wooden benches in the performance hall were filled with spectators, and I searched for an unoccupied seat. Because the seats are not hierarchical, the audience in front of me is still a bit blocking the view.
The music is so pure and original that I can't stop it from sounding like a fountain.
It sings of labor, nature, love and human friendship, a harmony between man and nature, man and man. The Dong songs come from nature and life. The cicada song, for example, is formed by imitating the cicada song.
They listen to the sounds of nature after their labor and form their own music by emulating the sounds of nature. A middle-aged man in a Dong village told me that because the Dong do not have writing, their songs are passed down by word of mouth. Since June 6, the Dong family has a lot of festivals. Because all kinds of crops, vegetables and fruits are harvested one after another, Dong families are especially happy and they celebrate the harvest in the form of festivals. Listening to the introduction of the elder brother of the Dong family, I have great admiration for them. They are able to integrate happiness into their labor and life. Survival conditions are tough, but in the midst of suffering, they can find a way to enjoy themselves and nourish their souls.
There are more than 40 performing teams from Zhaoxing Dong Village and other neighboring villages. Each team wore different colors of Dong costumes, but both headdresses and styles reflected the characteristics of Dong costumes.
The Dong costume advocates black and blue color, which highlights the national characteristics of the Dong people, which is heavy and deep, heavy and simple. The lapel and cuffs are decorated with bright-colored embroidery and brocade patterns, which contrasts with the large black basket-colored body, and does not look too dull and monotonous on the dark tone, reflecting the aesthetic principle of the Dong people's low-profile, introspective and subtle.
But as a performance costume, the colors are much more colorful and rich. I took a closer look at the women's costumes. They put their hair in a bun on top of their heads, and to make it bigger, they use thin black cotton threads to combine with their own hair and coil them up. Then they put all kinds of silver jewelry in the bun.
They are wearing tops and skirts, their tops, some open, some placket, collar, cuffs and other parts of the set with a variety of lace, the waist is tied with a silver-embellished aprons, showing the body of the graceful. After the waist was tightened, it was gradually contracted from the bottom to the top, so that the whole chest was in an open state, and then lined with a piece of brocade-like chest pocket. Below the knee pleated skirt, below the knee, tied with the dress coordinated legs, easy to walk, work.
Their silver jewelry is expensive and exotic, a pair of delicate earrings, the finishing touch to the whole face, the chest of the large silver collar, signaling the grace and luxury. A piece of not too small silver back pendant hanging in the back, just right to fill the back of the blank, and the chest of the silver collar.
I watched curiously as they put on their makeup and combed their hair, the actors, young and old, were so involved in all this that I asked them,
"Are the headdresses and necklaces silver?"
"If they were silver, they would have been gone long ago." One actor laughed.
In turn, the teams came on stage and sang their songs, and the first, second and third prizes were awarded.
The winning teams were elated and set off firecrackers to celebrate.
Those who didn't win were not as excited as those who did, but they still had the faint satisfaction of participating. They walked on the main street of Zhaoxing Dong Village like a scenery with their luggage prepared for the performance.
Drum tower of three treasures of Dong village
The drum tower is the symbol of Dong village and one of the three treasures of Dong village. There is a saying that "no fortress without a drum tower", and the drum tower is both their home and their temple. Zhaoxing Tongzhai Drum Tower is a multi-storey pavilion-shaped wooden building, made of cedar wood columns, boards through the mortise and tenon, without a nail and a rivet. As the center of political and cultural activities of the Dong village, the drum tower has the functions of assembly, deliberation, worship, entertainment and leisure. Almost all of the drum towers occupy the village or "group" feng shui, line of sight of the best location.
Shaoxing's five drum towers, respectively, belong to the five "regiments", observed on the slope, five drum towers in accordance with the shape of a large ship to layout, with the bow, stern, canopy and two masts. Zhaoxing people hope to use this boat to go back to the place where their ancestors, the Luo Yue people, used to live. The Drum Tower is a unique cultural symbol of the Dong people, where the Dong people inhabit not only their bodies but also their souls.
The Drum Tower forms a harmonious and beautiful picture with the surrounding green landscape, green trees and Dong family wooden buildings.
The Drum Tower glitters at night, like five golden crowns, which are mysterious and solemn from the ancient times.
The setting sun shines on the top of the drum tower, giving the Dong cottage the last light of the day.
Flower Bridge of Three Treasures of Dong Village
Flower Bridge (i.e. wind and rain bridge, which is called Flower Bridge by the people of Dong Village) is one of the three treasures of Dong nationality. There is a bridge corridor on the bridge, and there are benches for people to sit and lean on both sides of the aisle in the bridge corridor. The comb-shaped railing is both beautiful and airy.
The clear and calm Zhaoxing River, lying five similar size, different styles of flower bridge. They correspond to the five drum towers.
These flower bridges are all built with cedar, the eaves and teeth interlaced, all the beams, columns, square, plate, the whole system through the mortise and tenon comma buckle articulation joints, without a nail and a rivet. After years of wind and rain, people and animals walking, there is not yet a little loosening and deformation, and the exquisite craftsmanship is marvelous.
The people of Dongzhai sat on the bench inside the bridge, some played cards, some chatted with each other, and some lay down on the bench to take a nap, so relaxing and leisurely.
The Flower Bridge connects the houses on both sides of Zhaoxing River, and it is also a place for people to relax and cool off. The river flows from the bottom of the bridge, and the flow of water brings the wind, which is an extremely cool place in summer.
Above the corridor of the Flower Bridge, there are painted murals, which are colorful and diverse, including Dong myths, legends of ancestors, scenes of customs and festivals, as well as Dong totem symbols, and even story maps derived from the folklore of the Dong people.
There are lights hanging on the beams, and when night falls, the lights are on. The Bridge of Flowers looks even brighter, like a flower boat walking on the water.
Every day when I pass by here and go back to the inn, I sit on the bench like the Dong family, listen to the sound of the water, take a summer breeze, look at the blue trees and wooden buildings on both sides of the river, and the beautiful feeling and picture will flow into my heart.
The entrance of the village
The official entrance of the village is down from the bus, and Zhaoxing River flows out of the village slowly.
The dry-rail wooden buildings are situated between the green hills and the paddy fields, and the smoke of cooking rises slowly.
The waterwheel is slowly turning, watering the paddy fields. What greeted me was such a picture of an idyllic home. I waited here quietly for Xiao Liu from Lan Cao Xin Inn to pick me up.
Snapshots of Dong Walled City I Dong Culture Exhibition Center
When you go to Dong Walled City, Dong Culture Exhibition Center is to be visited. It introduces the cultural life of Dong people.
The building in the courtyard is a two-story dry-rail wooden building.
The wooden building in the front yard mainly displays the Dong Lushu, Dong opera, Dong songs, costumes, life scenes and so on.
In the backyard, there are experience halls of embroidery, batik and tie-dye.
A Glimpse of the Dong Village
Zhaoxing Dong Village has cultural performances focusing on the Dong culture. In the daytime, there is a welcoming ceremony at the gate of the fortress and a folklore show featuring Dong songs. The night show includes songs, dances and dramas.
The road to Zhaoxing Dong Village
The main street of the village starts from the gate of the scenic area, and passes through five drum towers, leading to the bus point to Tang'an Dong Village. There are sightseeing buses passing through the fortress. All visitors who have bought tickets can take a free ride here.
The houses on both sides of the street are dry-fence wooden buildings with inns, restaurants and various stores.
A significant portion of the busy streets are filled with tourists. Those who do business here are not only locals, but also many from abroad. They are optimistic about the business opportunities here.
My favorite part is the paths on both sides of Zhaoxing River.
Walking here you can see the life of Dong families.
Look at the clothes they hang to dry and the Dong cloth they bleach and dye.
Sometimes you can also see people fishing.
See them gather around to eat. Watch the Dong family lights come on in sequence.
This beautiful and peaceful cottage relies on the Zhaoxing River for nourishment, where Dong families recuperate. I like the tranquility and originality.
With the convenience of transportation and the influx of tourists, the life and economic model of the Dong village has been quietly changing, and many foreign merchants have entered the village.
Their material life is richer than the original, but hopefully their spiritual life is still as simple, optimistic and upward as the original.
When I left the Dong village, I still feel that it is not enough, maybe I will come back.
When I left the Dong village, I still felt that I hadn't had enough.