Peerless Folk Treasures Brighten the Dragon City

Before you start your trip， let me remind you to keep everything you may reach in mind because this is a homeland of pure customs. Liuzhou， the Dragon City， is inhabited by many ethnic groups， including Zhuang， Miao， Yao and Dong which are the main minority groups native to Guangxi. Their own festivals， customs and traditional costumes embroidered with exquisite designs are all maintained. These people tend to be very friendly and will possibly invite you to their home for a meal and a short stay. In fact， ethnic customs and minority villages highlight the trip to Liuzhou： Buildings with skillful craftsmanship of the Dong people， bold and passionate festivals of the Miao people， a sea of folk ballads and legends of the Zhuang people， and wonderful folk dances of the Yao people outline the splendid custom of the Dragon City.

Dong nationality： The great house builders

With diverse ethnic custom and charming natural scenery， Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County of Liuzhou prepares to show its pure beauty to the world. It is a land of green hills and clear water， bridges， pavilions， and ancient paths paved with stones.

The Dong people are born architects and are enthusiastic about house building. Their art of architecture is not only peculiar， but also refined in taste. Apart from the common houses they live in， they create drum towers and wind and rain bridges （a kind of bridge for sheltering people from wind and rain）， which are the quintessence of their world-famous architecture art. These efforts， they believe， will benefit their future generations. There is a special symbolic significance for Dong residents to build bridges. Local people believe that the bridge spanning every river around their houses symbolizes a monument to their faith and charitable spirit. This explains why there are various kinds of bridges in Dong villages， such as slate bridges， stone arch bridges， bamboo bridges and wind and rain bridges. Among which， the most distinctive bridges serve as the wind and rain bridge.

Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge， a 64-metre-long bridge located in Liuxi Village， Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County， also known as Panlong Bridge and Yongji Bridge， is a representative of Dong’s architecture and has been listed as an important relic under the state protection. For about 100 years， Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge still has kept a complete appearance， demonstrating the high level of Dong’s architectural skill. By adopting superb architectural and engineering techniques， Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge has embodied Dong people’s wisdom and endeavor. Lifelike images of the dragon were carved on pillars of the bridge. What deserves special mention is that five evenly-spaced pavilions with upturned eaves stand atop the bridge. The most remarkable thing is that there are no nails or bolts. It is no wonder that some foreigners are willing to spent some days here to explore the “secrets” behind Dong’s architecture， and experience the slowly life of local people. On grand occasions， the bridge serves as a place for villagers to rest， discuss matters， and entertain guests.

Drum tower is another symbol of Dong villages. There is a popular saying among Dong people： Where there is a village， there is a drum tower. Traditionally， the drum towers in Dong villages are the key to touch their cultural connotation. Mapang Drum Tower， situated in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County， is one of the most distinguished drum towers in China. As soon as you enter the Mapang Drum Tower， you will see four indoor pillars made of fir extend all the way to the top floor. The tower has nine upturned eaves， and each one was engraved with dragons and phoenixes， flowers， grass， fish， birds， and characters. Like an evergreen tree， the spectacular and exquisite drum tower also embodies their respect and worship for big trees. Inside the building， one can find stone fireplaces and wooden benches for a rest. On the top， there is usually a statue of gourd or crane appearing to be solemn and noble over the sunset glow， which is a symbol to bring good luck and health to the village. It is a kind of romance for lovers to listen to the rippling sound of water， sitting on the drum tower side by side and looking at the sky.

Free and indulge yourself in folk songs and dances

Rongshui Miao Autonomous County of Liuzhou， inhabited by minorities of the Zhuang， Miao and Yao， is not limited to its natural beauty. The Miao used to believe that every life in the world was sacred， so they worship ancestors and the nature by holding many festivals， including Drum Festival， Sowing Festival， Seed Festival and Horse Fighting Festival. To mark these festivals， local people usually play the melodious Lusheng （a reed-pipe wind instrument of the Miao people）. In addition to the traditional and worship festivals， there are also festivals related to food， such as Duck Eating Festival， Fresh Tasting Festival， Fish Catching Festival and Tea Collecting Festival. Apart from meat and wine， the seasonal foods are necessarily prepared. When taking part in these activities， you can also enjoy the colorful ribbons and painted eggshells which are used to decorate their surroundings.

For centuries， Zhuang ethnic group has been reputed for their singing according to their legends， fairy tales， stories and ballads. You can hear sweet songs wherever you go in the Zhuang region. Liu Sanjie was an outstanding folk song singer of the Zhuang minority during the Tang Dynasty. Praised as the “Song Fairy” and the “Queen of Song”， she is highly respected for her praise of life and the promotion of justice through beautiful songs. Legend has it that Liu moved the God with her songs and became a fairy at the foot of Liuzhou’s Yufeng Hill. At the annual Singing Festival of the Zhuang， young people dress themselves up and come together to sing songs in antiphonal style. Zhuang songs have rhyme， graceful melody and beautiful lyrics， with profound meaning centering on love， play， work， sadness， happiness， celebration and mourning.

Over thousands of years， the Yao people have managed to preserve its ancient culture and folk customs， including its distinctive dances. The melody， lyrics， costumes， choreography and props show strong local features. Festivals of the Yao people usually include all 18 types of dances， but the favorites are the Drum Dance， Tortoise Catching Dance， Soldiers’ Dance， Eight Immortals Dance and Butterfly Dance. According to historical materials， Shuagetang Festival， a large-scale cultural songfest held by Yao minority on the 16th day of the tenth lunar month， is the ceremonious event for the Yao to honor their ancestor， retrospect history， celebrate harvest， worship the hero， and spread knowledge. Until now， it boasts a history of more than 600 years. One of the performances of Shuagetang Festival is the Long Drum Dance through which the Yao can ask Panwang for protection. Also， it is especially a great opportunity for young single men and women to date and talk about love， which is full of festive and joyous atmosphere.

If you stop for a moment and get close to other ethnic groups in Liuzhou， you may still be able to find more.