Guandong Scenic Area

Guandong Scenic Area

Guandong Scenic Area is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Guandong Scenic Area is a national 3A-level tourist destination, situated in the central part of Guandong Village, Linxi Township, about 27 kilometers from the county seat. It is a key site representing the Dong people’s collective guest-receiving cultural traditions. The “Yueye” activities highlight local customs including road-blocking, welcoming ceremonies, lusheng dances, hundred-family banquets, antiphonal singing, storytelling, Duoye dancing, and overnight stays. Through mutual antiphonal singing of road-blocking songs, river songs, love songs, and drinking songs, as well as performances of Duoye dancing, storytelling, pipa playing, lusheng competitions, and Dong opera, the area showcases the talents of its people and offers visitors an immersive experience of Dong culture. The grandest gesture of hospitality—the Dong hundred-family banquet—brings the cultural experience to its climax.

“Dear guests, where do you come from? The people of the Dong village welcome you.” Every evening as the sun sets, on the steps in front of the drum tower square in Guanxiao Tun, Linxi Township, Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Guangxi, crisp and melodious Dong road-blocking songs ring out. Tourists ascend the steps accompanied by lusheng dances and the sound of these welcoming songs to join the “hundred-family banquet” on the drum tower square. Over the years, leveraging the village’s simple folkways and rich ethnic charm, Guanxiao Tun has been successfully developed into a Dong cultural tourism destination centered around the “hundred-family banquet.” This banquet has become one of Sanjiang’s signature ethnic tourism products, attracting an increasing number of visitors. The scenic area not only preserves and presents ethnic culture but also generates income for local residents, with annual tourism revenues exceeding 600,000 yuan.

Key attractions and highlights within the scenic area:

(1) Experience the Warmth of Dong Hospitality in Guest Reception and Farewell

Road-blocking Antiphonal Singing and Song-Based Hospitality — “Road-blocking antiphonal singing” is a grand Dong ceremony for welcoming guests and represents the highest form of hospitality for visitors. “Road-blocking,” also known as “blocking the village gate,” involves placing obstacles at the village entrance or main pathways when guests arrive or pass through. The hosts sing “road-blocking songs,” listing various reasons to delay the guests’ entry, which are then countered by songs from the visiting girls or young men who refute these excuses in a musical dialogue. Each time the guests respond to a question or playful challenge with a song, the hosts remove one barrier until all obstructions are cleared. Then, the host girls offer the guests drinks from cups or ox horns filled with wine, one by one, before guiding them into the village. When guests depart, groups of village girls gather at the village entrance to sing road-blocking farewell songs in an attempt to prolong their stay. The hosts and guests bid each other an emotional goodbye through song. Finally, the departing guests throw candies to the hospitable hosts before leaving.

Lusheng Welcoming and Farewell — The lusheng is one of the Dong people’s most cherished ancient musical instruments. Whenever honored guests arrive, the Dong people line the roadsides and play welcoming lusheng melodies to greet them. When it’s time for guests to leave, farewell tunes are played to express their reluctance to see them go. The Dong also play the lusheng during festivals, weddings and funerals, and harvest celebrations. Sometimes, lusheng-playing competitions are held, with dozens or even hundreds or thousands of lushengs playing together, creating a spectacular scene.

(2) Appreciate Dong Music through Lusheng Floor Dances

In Dong regions, floor dances are usually performed during festivals, ceremonies, or prayers for good weather, peace, and abundant harvests. Performers, typically twenty to thirty in number, dress in solemn and elegant attire, wear leg wrappings, white pants, and bird-feathered garments. The lead and end dancers hold umbrellas and wear red cloaks, swaying left and right to the rhythm of the lusheng while chanting incantations. The music of the lusheng dance is steady and majestic. The floor dance is divided into two parts: after dancing to the left, they dance to the right. This is the lusheng floor dance.

Currently, there are 17 types of Dong lusheng. Large lushengs are used to play low-pitched tones and are fixed in place, towering solemnly. Medium and small lushengs play the main melodies, with the small ones often leading. When played together, the interplay of high and low tones creates a broad range and diverse sounds, producing a magnificent effect. The lusheng is also played during festivals, ceremonies, and harvest celebrations, and competitions sometimes feature dozens or even hundreds or thousands of lushengs playing in unison, resulting in a breathtaking spectacle.

(3) Immerse Yourself in the Rich Folk Culture through Dong Songs and Dances

Duoye — One of the oldest forms of Dong song, traditionally performed during Spring Festival song gatherings, major celebrations, or ceremonial events. During performances, men form a circle, linking arms and walking while singing, while women join hands in a circle, singing and moving together. The lyrics of Duoye songs cover a wide range of themes and are generally divided into six categories: ceremonial Duoye, blessing Duoye, praise Duoye, ritual Duoye, responsive Duoye, and riddle Duoye. There are two performance styles: one features a solo lead singer with a chorus, and the other is a full group chorus. Dong Duoye is also a form of group song and dance. The number of performers can vary. Men place their hands on the shoulders of the person in front, forming a circle, legs spread at a 30-degree angle, alternating footwork, and swaying to the music as they move in sequence. Women join hands in a circle, facing inward, singing and swaying while moving to the right.

Antiphonal Love Songs — As night falls, young Dong women (called “lemian”) gather in stilted houses to do needlework or weave, waiting for their beloved. After dinner, young Dong men (called “lehan”), carrying niutuiqin (ox-leg lutes) adorned with square lanterns, visit the lemian’s homes to court them through conversation and antiphonal singing. Through repeated interactions, they get to know each other and deepen their friendships. Sometimes, late into the night, the lemian set up stoves to prepare oil tea or sweet porridge, inviting the elders of the household to join in the merriment. Over time, mutual respect and affection grow between the lehan and lemian, with some becoming lifelong friends or partners.

Dong Opera Performances — Dong opera originated during the Jiaqing and Daoguang eras of the Qing Dynasty. Its founder was Wu Wencai, a literate Dong man from Ladong Mountain Village, Liping County, Guizhou Province. He adapted two opera scripts, “Mei Liangyu” and “Li Dan and Feng Jiao,” based on Han Chinese stories, and composed melodies rooted in Dong folk songs to create Dong opera. Dong opera quickly gained popularity among the Dong people and spread rapidly across Dong regions. It was introduced to Sanjiang County around 1875. Dong opera music includes traditional vocal styles such as “big interlude,” “small interlude,” “common melody,” “crying melody,” and “ending melody.” Instruments used include the erhu, niutuiqin, gongs, and drums. The performance style is relatively simple, with actors moving in figure-eight patterns on stage. After the 1940s, Dong opera incorporated elements from other Han Chinese opera genres, enriching its performance techniques and musical accompaniment, and has remained beloved by audiences. To date, there are over 400 Dong opera plays, both classic and modern, with notable titles including “Qin Niangmei,” “Lengzi,” “Fu Kuan,” and “Meitao.”

Source: Tourism Bureau of Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County