Dehang Miao Village in Western Hunan

　　 Dehang Miao Village is located at the heart of the Dehang Scenic Area. Built against the mountains and surrounded by cascading waterfalls, the village features traditional stilted houses with upturned eaves and half-hidden facades, fireproof walls, intricately carved windows, and distinctive architectural styles that are vibrant and diverse—showcasing the ambiance of ancient tribal life.

　　 The village is home to over a hundred Miao households, where ancient customs remain well preserved to this day. It is widely known as the homeland of the Miao drum. People of all ages love to “dance the drum,” and the village has produced five generations of Miao drum kings. The Miao people who have thrived here for millennia live peaceful and contented lives. They speak the Miao language, wear collarless embroidered garments, use songs as a means of courtship, and choose their partners freely. Life follows the rhythm of dawn and dusk, with a serene acceptance of life and death, and a deep passion for song and dance. Young women adorn themselves with silver ornaments, while men prefer leg wrappings, playing leaf flutes, and practicing martial arts. They grow their own cotton, raise silkworms, spin and weave cloth, and use traditional methods to press oil, make paper, mill rice, and weave fabric. They also use waterwheels to irrigate fields.

　　 When guests arrive from afar, the villagers go to great lengths to ensure their joy—delighting them until their hearts race and spirits lift. The village hosts a variety of well-known Miao cultural events on fixed annual dates, including the Miao New Year, the Hundred Lions Festival, the April 8th Festival, the March 3rd Singing Festival, the Autumn Harvest Festival, the Dragon Welcoming Ceremony, the Bamboo Pole Dance, and grand Miao bonfire music and dance parties. Traditional scenes such as playing the lusheng (bamboo mouth organ), dancing the drum, offering ceremonial drinks at the gate, and singing across the mountains to court one another are everywhere to be found—transporting you to a magical utopia, a timeless fairy-tale world...

　　 Due to its breathtaking natural scenery and rich ethnic culture, in 1986 the Jishou Municipal Government developed Dehang into a scenic tourist area.

Dehang Miao Village in Western Hunan

Dehang Miao Village in Western Hunan