Explore Minority Ethnic Villages in Guizhou
A rare chance to experience rural life in China, this trip spins us well beyond the tourist-trod paths for a close and extraordinarily colorful look at the ethnically diverse villages of Guizhou Province, located east of Yunnan, west of Hunan, south of Sichuan, north of Guangxi, and far, far from home. Fly west to rarely visited Guizhou, a festival of limestone karsts, spiky hills, and terraced rice fields. Drive, hike, and wander in a series of villages set in bamboo groves by clear streams, atop misty hills, inhabited by Miaos, Gejias, and other minorities whose traditions, dances, costumes, and festivals are still rather mysterious to anthropologists. This five-day trip will offer you a unique opportunity to experience life in a relatively isolated, culturally rich though economically poor area of China, appreciate China’s ethnic cultural diversity, and understand economic changes in southwest China and how such changes affect the survival of traditional cultures.
Itinerary:
Day 1 Guiyang-Arrival-190km-Kaili (-/L/-)
Meet at the airport and drive 2 hours to Kaili and check in the hotel, the capital of Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of southeast Guizhou. This is real ‘festival land’ with over 130 festivals taking place each year. Minority people accounts for 71 percent of the total population.
Day 2 Kaili-50km-Leishan-Kaili (B/L/-)
After breakfast, drive 1 hour on the county road to Leishan county, center of the Miao culture in South-east Guizhou. Trekking tour (around 1 hour) to the Miao village. Spend the afternoon in the Miao village, drive back to Kaili in the afternoon.
Day 3 Kaili-80km-Shidong-Kaili (B/L/-)
Drive through the beautiful countryside with its terraced hillsides and quaint towns on our way to Shidong, Taijiang county, center of the Long Miao culture in South-Eastern Guizhou. The villagers will be waiting in their boats on the river to take us to their homes. In the afternoon, return Kaili.
Day 4 Kaili-20km-Matang-210km-Guiyang
After breakfast, drive 40 minutes to Matang. To experience Gejia village style. Free walk and sightseeing from Matang to Huzhuang. Drive back to Guiyang for about 2 hours in the afternoon.
Day 5 Guiyang-60km-Anshun-Guiyang
Drive 1.5 hours to Old Han (Chinese) village in Anshun County, west of Guiyang. The ancestors of these villagers migrated from Jiangsu Province to Guizhou Province in the Ming Dynasty. Women here are still dressed in traditional Ming dynasty costumes, and houses remain faithful to Ming architectural styles. After Anshun, transfer to Huangguoshu Waterfall and Dragon Palace Cave. Then drive back to Guiyang.
Day 6 Guiyang-Departure (B/-/-)
In the morning, transfer to the airport and take flight back home. Trip ENDs