Any visitor to the Dong villages of Tongdao is bound to be struck by the silvery-white, noodle-like "dragon beard" dish often served on the table. At first, they approach it with hesitation, but after trying it, they discover its rich, delicious flavor—proving that the so-called "stinky vegetable" isn't stinky at all. This is the Dong people’s beloved "stinky vegetable roots," known in medicine as "Houttuynia cordata." …
Fermented fish is a delicacy meticulously prepared by the Dong people. The preparation involves cleaning the fish, splitting it open, and removing the internal organs. The fish is then laid flat and coated with a layer of salt. The amount of salt used depends on how long the fish will be preserved — for consumption within the year, the salt accounts for 10–15% of the fish’s weight. In addition, an appropriate amount of cooled sticky rice is mixed with pre-prepared chili powder, minced ginger, …
Tongdao Dong Autonomous County is one of the major ginger-producing regions in China. Tongdao ginger is known for its large size, minimal fibers, crisp tenderness, and moderate spiciness. It sells well both within and outside the province, serving as premium raw material for making candied ginger, five-flavor ginger, ginger juice beverages, and medicinal uses. The local Dong people use it to make Chopped Spicy Ginger, which has become an immensely popular appetizer at banquets...
Dongxiang Fern Cake This product is made from refined starch extracted from wild fern roots. It can be used both medicinally and as food, rich in trace elements such as iron, zinc, and selenium, as well as various amino acids. According to *Compendium of Materia Medica* and *Modern Chinese Herbal Medicine*, it helps clear heat and toxins, promote urination, aid sleep, and nourish deficiencies in the five internal organs. The main ingredient for making fern cake is the fern plant, which…
Flower mushrooms are the finest among shiitake mushrooms. During their cultivation in Channel, no pesticides, fertilizers, or hormones are used, ensuring they remain free from any contamination and meet organic food standards. Flower mushrooms are rich in protein, amino acids, fats, crude fiber, and vitamins such as B1, B2, C, niacin, as well as minerals like calcium, phosphorus, and iron. They have long been regarded by the Chinese people…
According to historical records, Dong brocade is “woven from dyed kapok threads in five colors, with a coarse texture yet adorned with patterns. It features various designs of flowers, plants, birds, animals, as well as objects, and the finer pieces remain unfaded when soaked in water and unstained when exposed to oil.” The main patterns of Dong brocade include floral and plant shapes such as lotus and peony; bird and animal shapes such as paired phoenixes and mandarin ducks; object shapes such as pavilions and silver hooks; as well as geometric patterns, with colors...
Produced by Jing County Winery. This wine is made from the juice of locally grown Mudong Yangmei berries, which are processed, aged for 3–6 months, adjusted for sweetness and alcohol content, heat-treated, then filtered after another 3–6 months of aging. It has a red, transparent color, a prominent yangmei flavor, a rich taste, and a mellow, pleasant aged aroma. …
Dongwang Liquor is a specialty of Tongdao County, Huaihua City, Hunan Province. Made from high-quality glutinous rice, it is brewed based on the traditional Dong people’s bitter wine, combined with modern scientific production techniques. Rich in nutrients, it contains 18 types of amino acids, vitamins, and wolfberry polysaccharides. For generations, the Dong people have used it to “enhance complexion” and “nourish the body.”…
Tongdao Dong Autonomous County is one of the major ginger-producing regions in China. Tongdao ginger is known for its large size, minimal fiber, crisp tenderness, and moderate spiciness, making it a popular product both within and outside the province. It serves as premium raw material for making candied ginger, five-spice ginger, ginger juice beverages, and medicinal uses. The local Dong people use it to make "duo la zi jiang" (chopped spicy ginger), which has become an immensely popular appetizer at banquets...
Dong fabric The women of the Dong ethnic group are skilled in spinning and weaving. Before the founding of the People's Republic of China, every Dong household owned wooden spinning wheels and looms. The Dong people’s clothing was mostly made from self-spun and self-dyed “Dong fabric,” which came in coarse and fine varieties. Dong fabric is durable and features bright indigo-blue dyes. Its dyeing process is elaborate: first, it is dyed three to four times with indigo (a dye made from self-cultivated Polygonum tinctorium leaves and lime—each dyeing session is followed by rinsing and sun-drying) until it turns blue; second, the blue fabric is further dyed with mashed and juiced persimmon peel, strychnos peel, and red-root powder to achieve a greenish hue; third, it is repeatedly dyed with indigo again to bring out a bluish-red color; and fourth, it is treated with ox-hide glue for sizing, making the fabric stiff and colorfast. Young women prefer to wear soft garments in bluish tones with red undertones, and some even steam the fabric with sweet potato tubers for about two hours as part of the finishing process.
Known as one of the three great brocades of China's ethnic minorities, it is a traditional textile handicraft of the Dong people with a long history. Woven by hand using black-and-white cotton threads or velvet by Dong women, it is commonly used in traditional Dong garments such as headscarves and waistbands. Featuring vibrant colors and unique patterns, it is one of the most popular tourist souvenirs.…
Sour Soup Fish is a well-known and distinctive dish of the Miao people. It is made by cooking fresh carp or grass carp in a sour vegetable broth. The Miao people enjoy using this sour broth to cook fish, hence the name Sour Soup Fish. This dish is commonly served during festivals or when entertaining relatives and friends in Miao communities. There are two types of Sour Soup Fish: one is a vegetarian version primarily made with the sour soup base, and the other…
Ingredients: 500g acidic soup tofu, 150g Houttuynia cordata. Seasonings: Roasted chili powder, soy sauce, salt, MSG, sesame oil, bitter garlic, litsea cubeba, Sichuan peppercorn powder, minced ginger, chopped scallions, alkaline water, and other appropriate amounts. Preparation Method: Grill. Cut the tofu into 5…
Dong preserved meat of the Tongdao Dong ethnic group, commonly known as "jie rou," is called "nans" or "wuld" in the Dong language. The varieties include pork, duck, beef, and beef steak. Winter is the best season for making it. The preparation method involves soaking the meat in salt in a basin, allowing it to dry slightly, then curing it in a wooden barrel. The bottom layer is lined with glutinous rice or sticky rice paste as a brine base, and each layer of meat is topped with a layer of this brine. It is then covered with bamboo leaves or…
Sticky rice is one of the staple foods of the Miao people and holds an important place in their daily lives. It is a beloved food for all ages, as people believe that regular glutinous rice is less filling, bland in taste, and not as fragrant as sticky rice. It can be eaten without side dishes and is extremely convenient to consume by hand without the need for chopsticks. It is commonly given as a gift when visiting relatives and friends, and serves as a staple during various festivals (such as the Sisters' Festival)...
When people think of Jingzhou, the first thing that comes to mind is yangmei. The yangmei of Jingzhou has a cultivation history of over a thousand years. It is renowned for its dark purple color, balanced sweet-and-sour taste, large fruit with small pits, excellent quality, and rich nutrition. A poem in the *Jingzhou Local Chronicles* reads: "The yangmei of Mudong is especially famous, while the pears and chestnuts of Shenyuan also compete in fame. For just a few coins you can buy them by the basket—how I wish I could transplant their roots to the capital..." During the Qing Dynasty, Jingzhou yangmei was an imperial tribute. When the “Summer Solstice” approaches, the yangmei rain arrives both mysteriously and suddenly. Showers of rain alternate with bursts of hot sun, quickly ripening the yangmei across the hills and slopes. "The sun rises in the east while it rains in the west; it seems heartless, yet it is full of feeling." Only the lush greenery of Jingzhou truly captures the endless charm of this timeless poetic line. Mudong yangmei is a premium variety group composed of four basic variants and twelve main cultivated cultivars. With its large size, bright color, excellent flavor, rich nutrition, natural growth, high yield, economic value, and strong ecological function, it boasts outstanding superior traits, making it a unique specialty resource in the province and a nationally renowned one. In 1998 and 1999, it won the Gold Award in the Hunan Province High-Quality Fruit Evaluation for two consecutive years. Large and Bright-Colored Fruit — Average fruit weight ≥11.6g, maximum fruit weight ≥28.78g. Mature fruits display colors including deep purple-red, bright red, pink, and pure white. Excellent Flavor — Protein, carbohydrates, various vitamins, and elements such as iron, phosphorus, and calcium are all higher than those found in commercial varieties from Fujian and Zhejiang. Natural Growth — Due to its unique adaptability and resistance, it suffers from very few pests and diseases. Farmers still follow the century-old practice of not using pesticides or chemical fertilizers. As a result, its natural quality is unmatched by other cultivated fruits, making it a rare pollution-free “green food” in today’s industrial era. High Economic Value — Fresh fruit from the growing region sells year-round at prices as high as 8–30 yuan/kg, approximately 8–30 times the price of pears, apples, or citrus fruits. High Yield Potential — Under general management, a single plant can begin fruiting in 4 years, reach peak production between 8–10 years (with yields of ≥30kg per plant for over 50 years), and even greater yields can be achieved through improved branch and fertilizer-water management. Strong Ecological Function — Yangmei is a perennial evergreen tree fruit. With well-developed roots, lush foliage, and year-round greenery, it plays a role in soil and water conservation, climate regulation, air purification, environmental beautification, and disaster mitigation within natural ecosystems. Greeting the dawn of the new century and facing the great opportunities of global economic integration and China’s entry into the WTO, the Jingzhou County Party Committee, County Government, and the broad masses of cadres and people have sized up the situation. They have identified the development of the Mudong yangmei resources as a key area and priority project for the county’s economy, accelerating progress through technological and institutional innovation. A vibrant “green industry” with sustainable development attributes and comparative advantages is now thriving in these magical and fertile mountains: A Large-Scale Cultivation Pattern Is Taking Shape — With research and application in seedling propagation and early-yield, high-production techniques, the county’s cultivation area has reached 20,100 mu, and the annual yield of fresh fruit during peak production is expected to exceed 6.03 million kg. Breakthroughs in Freshness Preservation and Transportation Technology — The Natural Preservation Technology Orthogonal Experiment for yangmei, conducted by the County Science and Technology Information Research Institute and the County Paiyashan State-Owned Forest Farm with the support and participation of county government leaders and relevant authorities, has achieved most factor-level combinations at or above the levels reported domestically. With further research and application of preservation and transportation technologies, this special seasonal fruit will transcend traditional time and space limitations, allowing people across the north and south to enjoy its flavor. Series Food Product Development Shows Initial Success — The first research achievement from the high-tech processing study of yangmei, jointly conducted by the County Science and Technology Bureau, Hunan Laodie Agricultural Co., Ltd., and Jishou University (production technology for fresh yangmei juice beverage), passed the technical appraisal organized by the Provincial Science and Technology Department on April 14, 2001, reaching an advanced domestic level. The product is sweet, sour, fragrant, and refreshing, with an annual output value of up to 110 million yuan after factory-scale implementation. The original county winery’s fermented yangmei juice wine once won the Hunan Province Excellent Food Hibiscus Award. The preserved yangmei produced by the former county food industry company successively won the Hunan Province Excellent New Product Award, the National “Spark Program” Product Exhibition Gold Award, and the Asia-Pacific International Food Expo Silver Award. Tourism Culture Emerges — During the hot summer days of Mangzhong (Grain in Ear), the scenery here is uniquely beautiful: ripe yangmei fruits smile from the branches, greeting visitors with their distinctive charm and style. Guests from afar come in an endless stream, either enchanted by the red-dotted beauty of the yangmei groves amidst the greenery or intoxicated by the unique flavor of the fresh fruit, enjoying the “feast for the mouth and eyes” bestowed by this fertile land. They not only deeply experience the feeling of “quenching thirst by thinking of plums,” but also find themselves relaxed, joyful, and reluctant to leave.
Jingzhou Embroidered Shoes…
Poria Cocos is one of the specialty products of Jingzhou in Huaihua, Hunan. It is a type of fungus plant with a long history. Production Area: The Huaihua region boasts abundant Poria Cocos resources, especially those from Jingzhou, which are renowned nationwide and famous worldwide. Jingzhou County is located in the southwestern border of Hunan and serves as a transportation hub and distribution center for goods among Hunan, Guangxi, and Guizhou provinces. …
Jingzhou produces 35,000 tons of medicinal and edible fungi annually, ranking among the top 20 nationwide and first in the province. The annual output value reaches 148 million yuan, with sales amounting to 340 million yuan, accounting for 34% of the county’s total agricultural output. Major products include Poria cocos, Gastrodia elata, Ganoderma lucidum, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, button mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms. The county town hosts an 8,600-square-meter specialized market primarily for Poria cocos, which has become the largest base in China for Poria cocos seed production, cultivation, procurement, processing, and trade. Nearly 20,000 people in the county are engaged in the production, processing, and sales of medicinal and edible fungi. There are 16 companies and individual businesses specializing in export business, with 17 of them achieving annual sales of over 200 tons. Most of the Poria cocos products produced in Jingzhou are sold to Southeast Asian countries and regions, accounting for two-thirds of the country’s total exports.
Jingzhou Carved Flower Preserves, also known as "Myriad Flowers Tea," is a traditional craft-art food from Jingzhou. It is made by meticulously carving various roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits of melons, vegetables, and fruits using small willow-leaf-shaped knives. These preserved items serve as traditional craft tea snacks, tonics, decorative pieces, and edible artworks. The carved designs include exotic flowers, birds, animals, human figures...