Tang’an Dong Village

Tang’an Dong Village

Tang’an Dong Village

Tang’an Dong Village, with a population of over 800, has residents scattered across the two mountain ranges of “Banbai” and “Jiding,” as well as in the “Guijin” valley. Most houses face north-south, and the villagers mainly bear the surnames Ying and Lu, along with six other harmoniously coexisting surnames: Pan, Lan, Wu, Yang, and Shi. According to traditional customs, the Lu and Pan families in the village are further divided into Da Lu (Big Lu), Xiao Lu (Small Lu), Da Pan (Big Pan), and Xiao Pan (Small Pan).

The drum tower, theater stage, stilted wooden houses, flagstone paths, ancient burial sites, traditional water scoops, as well as historic artifacts such as water mills, stone mortars, and spinning wheels in Tang’an Dong Village all exude a profound Dong cultural essence. Every corner of the village embodies the rich heritage of the Dong people. Tang’an Dong Village serves as a prime example of humanity’s return to simplicity. A close look at its relics fully attests to its long history. It holds significant value for historical and scientific research, for the study of Dong culture and customs, for the development of Dong ethnic tourism resources, and for human ecological preservation.

Surrounded by lush green mountains and layered peaks, Tang’an Dong Village features crisscrossing fields and terraced rice paddies. The houses halfway up the hillsides are built along the contours of the land, hanging from stilts in an orderly fashion. The drum tower in the village is considered an auspicious symbol, believed to anchor the souls of the Dong people. Together with the theater stage and singing ground, the drum tower forms a trinity that showcases the distinctive characteristics of a Dong village. The village is interconnected with winding paths, all paved with bluestone slabs. At the nine exits leading out of the village, there are gateways. Other facilities within the village, including grain-drying racks, granaries, water mills, stone mortars, oil presses, fish ponds, well pavilions, and the Sasa Pond for worship, each possess their own unique cultural identity. In the center of the village lies a cemetery with over ten tombs, most built during the Qing Dynasty, adorned with exquisite carvings of dragons, phoenixes, and scrolling floral patterns—another representation of the Dong cultural heritage in Tang’an.

The perennial spring located above the drum tower flows into a square, handle-equipped stone basin made of bluestone, about two feet in size. The polygonal stone pedestal supports the basin, where the clear spring water collects and then flows out from the grooves on both sides. The Dong people call this handle-equipped well basin a “water scoop,” as its shape resembles a wooden ladle.

As a Dong cultural community and cultural entity, Tang’an influences the entire Liudong region. The phenomenon of Tang’an represents a process of harmonious development between humans and nature. The preservation and development of this living ecological museum, along with the heritage protection of the entire community, will undoubtedly bring broad prospects for tourism.

On December 9, 1999, the People’s Government of Guizhou Province approved the establishment of the Guizhou Liping Tang’an Dong Ethnic Eco-Museum in Tang’an Village, Liping County.

Address: Zhaoxing Township, Liping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture

Opening Hours:

Open all day

Transportation

There are two ways to get to Tang’an Dong Village:

1. Hike from Zhaoxing, approximately 3 hours;

2. Take a bus heading east from Zhaoxing Bus Station (near the market) — all such buses pass through Tang’an. The fare is 3 RMB per person. Inform the driver to drop you off at the Tang’an intersection, then walk about 1 km to the village.

Admission Fee:

Free