A Blissful Revelry in Dong Villages

If someone wants to escape from the noisy city life and experience a special rural life， the Dong villages in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture is the best choice. Kam Grand Choirs， traditional drum tower， customs and unique items， portray the social lives of the Dong people. Reputed as a melting pot of ethnic minorities， including Miao， Dong， Mulao， She， Buyi and Shui， Qiandongnan will offer you a chance to approach some of the most fascinating Dong villages that you would like to encounter. What’s more， over 1，000 festivals celebrated by the Dong people each year in Qiandongnan are worth trying， which will provide you with the best opportunity to appreciate their exotic and colorful costumes and experience their simple and original living habits.

Everlasting Kam Grand Choirs

Mr. Zhao Lei has made a hit for his Chengdu. Some people thought it was overwhelming while others regarded it as “a flash in the pan”. To truly feel the sound of nature， you can listen to the fair-sounding Kam Grand Choirs （a kind of music of the Dong people） from the Xiaohuang Dong Village.

Honored as the “Land of Kam Grand Choirs”， the Xiaohuang Dong Village situated in Congjiang County is probably one of the most famous places in Guizhou. Each year in late November， there are the Kam Grand Choirs Festival and Harvest Day， during which one can listen to the refreshing sounds of Lusheng （a reed-pipe wind instrument）， and experience the unpretentious Kam Grand Choirs. The Kam Grand Choirs， which prevails in the Xiaohuang Dong Village， originates from the sounds of nature. Nowadays， Kam Grand Choirs， a rare polyphonic folk chorus music with no obbligato or conductor， has become a wonder. The most noteworthy is that the Kam Grand Choir was listed in the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” by the UNESCO in September 2009.

Walking into the Xiaohuang Dong Village， a desire to indulge yourself is very likely to be stirred up by the ancient and grand Kam Grand Choirs coming from the drum tower from time to time. It is a kind of music which must be performed by at least three people. The more people are involved， the better effect it is. The magnificent melody as well as Dong people’s enthusiasm cater to people’s inner desire of “indulgence”， making them hard to get away. To outsiders， the sheer diversity and passion of these songs are simply overwhelming and spellbinding.

The Dong people believe that “rice feeds the body and songs feed the heart”. As the spiritual food of Dong people， songs cultivate people’s state of mind and sentiment， and unite their knowledge and culture. Dong people hold fast to the tradition of passing down their songs from generation to generation. They love these songs， take pleasure in learning and singing them， take pride in being able to sing them， and express their feelings and emotions through them. Han people pass down their characters by books while Dong people pass down their words by songs. This is perhaps a good proof that the culture of Dong people always distinguishes itself in the long history.

It feels wonderful to listen to the Kam Grand Choirs which starts with a clear and sharp note of bird or insect. These simple sounds from nature， resembling the “butterfly effect”， demonstrate the diligence and wisdom of Dong people， their persistence in and appreciation for true love and friendship， as well as the harmonious views between man and nature.

Drum tower： An Evergreen Tree in Zhaoxing

Speaking of Kam Grand Choirs， we cannot throw a veil over the drum tower， which has become an integral part of the former. As the landmark building of the Zhaoxing Dong Village， the drum tower serves as a great treasure of Dong’s culture. Where there is a Dong village， there will be drum towers. According to the old people， the drum tower is compared to the tree of the village， without which the village would lose its cohesive force that leads to its development and prosperity.

Walking into the Zhaoxing Dong Village， you can approach these wooden houses. This is a picturesque village noted for the beautiful natural sights and unique ethnic flavor. Located in Liping County， Zhaoxing Dong Village is one of the largest Dong villages in Qiandongnan. In Zhaoxing Dong Village， there are five drum towers， which are known far and wide for their unique styles. Each of them has a particular name. They are Ren （benevolence）， Yi （righteousness）， Li （courtesy）， Zhi （wisdom） and Xin （faithfulness）.

The unique structure of the drum tower can be rated superb. With the shape of a pagoda， it is almost made of wood except for the stone-built foundation. On the top， there is usually a statue of gourd， a symbol to bring good luck and health to the village， which appears to be solemn and noble in the sunset glow. Looking down from the top， one can see rows of exquisite and elegant eaves， like home-coming swallows resting at the tower. Moreover， pictures of the lifelike figures， landscapes， flowers and birds， as well as living customs are illustrated across the eave tiles， a handy resource for one to feel and fancy the charm of the Zhaoxing Dong Village.

Whenever there are festivals or visiting guests， dressed-up boys and girls in Zhaoxing Dong Village will gather below the drum tower， and express their warm welcome to the guests or show their love and affections hidden deep in heart for their beloved ones by singing songs with their plain and natural voices. Some visitors ever joked that “I would like to live another five hundred years if I could stay in a Dong village”.

A land of hundreds of festivals

The Dong people celebrate a variety of festivals throughout the year. Festivals unique to the Dong culture include Dong’s New Year， New Harvest Eating Festival， Bullfighting Festival and Sisters’ Festival. In Chejiang Dong Village， 5 km east of Rongjiang County， everything is simple and far from the influence of modern life. The verdant mountains， simple but elegant houses， smiling faces of Dong people， and the bustling festivals will greet you and offer a natural feast for all of your senses.

Festivals

Dong’s New Year： It is celebrated during the eleventh lunar month， from the first day to the eleventh day （in late November or December）， marking the end of the autumn harvest. Before its arrival， the Dong people are very busy preparing to clean their houses， make rice cakes， slaughter animals， and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. During the festival， Dong people invite their honored guests to a feast by dressing up traditional costumes.

Bullfighting Festival： As one of the most popular entertainments of the Dong people， bullfighting usually takes place in August or September. With many participants and spectators， the bullfighting serves as a spellbinding and thrilling scene you should not miss.

Sisters’ Festival： Celebrated on April 8th by the Chinese lunar calendar （around early May）， this festival honors the women of the Dong people. On that day， married women will take a black glutinous rice cake home to their husbands as a sign of respect.