Lingxi Gaoyou Village

Lingxi Gaoyou Village

Stepping into Gaoyou Village in Linxi Township, Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, you are immediately greeted by the sincere warmth of the hospitable Dong people. Here, the folkways are simple, the customs mysterious, relations between neighboring villages harmonious, and the coexistence between humans and nature serene.

The villagers of this harmonious Dong mountain village have lived for generations in wooden stilt houses built against the mountains. The village is located far from the county seat and is home to more than 400 households and over 1,800 people. The settlement is filled with numerous wooden stilt houses, along with many ancient wells and pavilions. The surrounding landscape boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, with refreshing and sweet mountain spring water, lush pines and firs, and graceful bamboo groves. Viewed from a high vantage point, the simple stilt houses of the Dong village reveal dark eaves that exude a unique charm. At the heart of the village stands a white courtyard—that is the Feishan Palace, the best-preserved and largest of its kind discovered so far within Sanjiang. From above, the patch of white amidst the dark eaves of the Dong village stands out strikingly, yet also blends in with an indescribable sense of harmony. In the tea fields, innocent and cheerful little girls from Gaoyou flit about like a flock of joyful birds, their nimble hands dancing across the tea bushes, creating a moving scene. When the sun sets, the golden afterglow bathes the Dong village in radiant splendor, offering a view that never tires the eye. As dusk falls, smoke curls lazily from the chimneys of the Dong village homes, creating a dreamlike atmosphere.

The greatest charm and advantage of Gaoyou Village lie in its unique landscape and rich, colorful folk culture. Throughout the year, aside from traditional festivals such as Spring Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival, Gaoyou hosts a wide variety of distinctly Dong-flavored celebrations. With “a festival every month,” it is known as Sanjiang’s “village of many festivals.” Examples include the Lusheng Festival, Black Rice Festival, New Crop Tasting Festival, Bullfighting Festival, Winter Eating Festival, as well as the uniquely Dong cultural and artistic festival—the Guyu Leek Festival—and various singing gatherings.

In recent years, Gaoyou Village has gained widespread fame for its “graceful environment, civilized rural customs, tidy village appearance, democratic management, and harmonious mountain settlement.” With its beautiful scenery, unique dwellings, and strong ethnic flavor, the stunning natural and cultural landscapes of Gaoyou Village attract a large number of tourists and photography enthusiasts, earning it the reputation of a “poetic homeland.”

Source: People's Government of Liucheng County