Yinshui Dong Village

Yinshui Dong Village

Situated within the Lehuang Little Three Gorges, 1.5 kilometers west of Longsheng County in Guilin and connected to the spillway of the 6,400-kilowatt Lehuang Hydropower Station, the village spans a total area of 3,000 square meters with a built-up area of 1,500 square meters. It is a Dong ethnic minority folk village featuring a uniquely styled covered bridge that combines a bridge, pavilion, and corridor, as well as a four-sided, multi-eaved, tiled-roof tower-shaped drum tower. With its layered rock formations, cascading waterfalls that resemble silver chains from afar, it is called “Yinshui Dong Village,” meaning “Silver Water Dong Village.”

The terrain of Yinshui Dong Village is a valley with steep, straight mountain ridges stretching out, winding paths, secluded caves, and rugged peaks. The layered rocks and plunging waterfalls resemble a silver chain from a distance, hence the name “Yinshui Dong Village.” The village is covered with lush trees and boasts enchanting scenery. This place was once an ancient Dong village. As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, the Wu family of the Dong people migrated to Longsheng and first settled here, carving out a village in the mountains. After several generations of development, it became a well-arranged and interconnected Dong village where people lived in peace and prosperity, with a growing population. At the top of the village stood a temple with ceaseless incense burning and fame that spread far and wide. In the third year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1737), Wu Jinyin, the Dong ethnic leader (the 82nd chieftain of Yinshui Village), led a Dong uprising, which gained support from the local Zhuang, Miao, and Yao peoples of Longsheng. The rebel forces grew strong, causing great alarm to the Guangxi Guilin government. In the fourth year of Qianlong, troops from Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi were mobilized to suppress the uprising. By the sixth year of Qianlong, the rebel forces led by Wu Jinyin were quelled by Qing soldiers, and Yinshui Village suffered the same fate. The Wu family fled elsewhere, and what was once a vibrant Dong village became desolate, overgrown with weeds, presenting a scene of utter desolation. With the development of tourism, in 1993, the county government invested over one million yuan to restore Yinshui Dong Village. Nestled against the mountains and by the water, its elegant environment and distinctive Dong architectural style, along with rich Dong ethnic customs, attract many domestic and international tourists.

This place was once an ancient Dong village. As early as the Tang and Song dynasties, the Wu family of the Dong people migrated to Longsheng and first settled here, carving out a village in the mountains. After several generations of development, it became a well-arranged and interconnected Dong village where people lived in peace and prosperity, with a growing population. At the top of the village stood a temple with ceaseless incense burning and fame that spread far and wide. The village, nestled against the mountains and by the water, features lush trees and enchanting scenery.

The Dong people living in the village are good at singing and dancing, maintaining their ethnic uniqueness in lifestyle and dietary habits. The village’s wooden buildings without a single nail or rivet, covered bridges (flower bridges), and tower-shaped drum towers are all iconic architectural features of the Dong style.

The village's covered bridge spans across the entrance, and walking across it leads you into the heart of the village. According to Dong customs, every village must have a drum tower, and the number of drum towers corresponds to the number of surnames in the village. However, since everyone in Yinshui Dong Village shares the single surname “Wu,” there is only one drum tower in the village. "The Origin of the Name 'Longsheng' County"

The 82nd chieftain of Yinshui Dong Village, Wu Jinyin, led an uprising in the third year of the Qianlong reign (1737) due to unbearable oppression by local officials. Although he gained the support of various ethnic groups in the region, the rebellion was eventually suppressed and failed. After the failure, the government renamed the county “Longsheng” to celebrate the suppression, which is also the origin of the name “Longsheng” County.

Ticket: 50 yuan.

Opening Hours: 8:30–16:30 (the entire tour takes 1–2 hours).

Transportation

Take a bus from Guilin Bus Station to Longsheng, then take a local bus within Longsheng County to reach the site.