Follow the National Geographic's nanny-level guide to Zhaoxing Dong Village in Guizhou

|Time seems to have hit the pause button, the strong sense of seclusion in the Dong village is the first place I've encountered in my travels around the country. Here, the ladies all have high buns, the men can play music and sing, and even the old lady under a random tree can embroider beautiful sachets. It's a village on the edge of time, and I hope one day, you can come here to 'escape from the world' too. 📍Zhaoxing Dong Village 🚄Transportation: High-speed rail - Congjiang Station, there is a bus to the scenic area for 10/person, 15 minutes to get there; if you stay in a guesthouse in the scenic area, pick-up and drop-off are generally included. 🎫Ticket: 75/person. . 📸Excellent photo spots: Simply put, Zhaoxing Dong Village is a main street by the mountain and water. From the village gate, there are five drum towers of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith, each with a flower bridge next to it. From the gate, the must-visit spots are: 1️⃣Observation deck Overlooking the entire Dong village, the view is absolutely stunning. 2️⃣Village gate Be sure to go to the stairs on the right for a side shot, it's very beautiful! This is where travel photography takes place. 3️⃣Water wheel Go left from the village gate and you'll see a lake, follow the lake and you'll see the 'Meng Cat Flower Bridge'. 4️⃣Faith Drum Tower 5️⃣Wisdom Drum Tower 6️⃣Righteousness Drum Tower The above three drum towers + the accompanying flower bridges are all great for capturing the local ethnic atmosphere. 7️⃣Propriety Drum Tower Classic spot - the path leading to the drum tower. 8️⃣Benevolence Drum Tower With the drum tower as the background, stand on the stairs on either side of the flower bridge for a shot, the reflection of the architecture in the water is super beautiful. 9️⃣Tie-dye shop There are many tie-dye experience shops along the river channel from the Propriety Drum Tower to the Benevolence Drum Tower, with dyed cloth hanging at the entrance to dry, any shot is beautiful. . 🏠Accommodation tips: Staying near the village gate in the scenic area is very convenient and offers the best views. I stayed at the Ancient Song Secret Realm, which includes pick-up and drop-off from the high-speed rail station and within the village. The room has a great view, the facilities are exquisite, and it's super comfortable with heating! In the evening, there are Dong song performances and Dong culture science popularization in the guesthouse lobby; and the breakfast rice noodles are so delicious, the best I've had on this trip, highly recommended! . 🔹Itinerary: ⭐️Day1 Arrive at the guesthouse at noon for food and rest ➡️ Tang'an terraced fields ➡️ Zhaoxing Dong Village night view/performance/bonfire party I arrived at around 13:00. After eating, I went to the free sightseeing bus stop on the main street and took it to the end of the village, then transferred to a minibus to Tang'an Dong Village, round trip 💰20, 20 minutes by car. There's a 1km uphill walk from the station, or you can take a villager's 🚘 for 5r per person. Tang'an Dong Village spots: 1. Go to the drum tower first, walk to the very end of the village and you'll see it, take a shot from above on the stone path. 2. Return to the entrance of the village at 5:30 for the sunset over the terraced fields at the Initial Language Dessert Shop, there's also an open-air observation deck next to it. 6:30 is the last bus back to Zhaoxing Dong Village, where you can enjoy the food and night view. You can also choose to join the bonfire party. ⭐️DAY2 Change clothes for photos in the village ➡️ Tie-dyeing ➡️ Observation deck for night view ➡️ Take the last high-speed train back. . ☑️Other tips: ⭐️Renting clothes for photos: The prices on the main street are slightly higher, go to the back street by the river, it's only 40-50 per day. ⭐️Village gate welcoming performance: Every day at 10:00 and 16:00. ⭐️Food: Rice noodles, grilled pork belly, glutinous rice wrapped grilled meat, sour soup fish/beef, beef hot pot, oil tea, etc., just go where there are many people.