As the largest Miao ethnic group inhabited area in the world, Xijiang Miao Village in Guizhou province is an excellent place to study and explore Miao culture. Xijiang Thousand Households Miao Village includes more than ten small villages, and more than 6,000 villagers live here. Every year during the Spring Festival, Xijiang Miao Village will hold ethnic performances with Miao characteristics, attracting many tourists to experience and watch.
Xijiang Miao Village Facts
- Location: No.20 Xijiang Town, Leishan County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province
- Ticket Price: 90 yuan/person
- Opening Time: All year round
What to See in Xijiang Miao Village
The Viewing Platform
It is the best and a popular place to visit and enjoy the panoramic view of Xijiang Miao Village. From here you can look across to the main fortress. The nearby mountains are densely packed with stilted houses, which become a beautiful natural landscape with Xijiang Thousand Households Miao Village.
The Xijiang Miao Village scenery at night is just as enchanting. The whole village is brightly lit, complementing the stars in the night sky.
Twelve Welcome Drinks
Miao people have always used wine to express their emotions. It is the basic hospitality etiquette of Miao people to welcome guests with wine. Arriving at Xijiang Miao Village scenic area of North/West gate, you will see villagers dressed in costumes, put 12 welcome drinks to greet you.
The “high mountain and flowing water” toast involves pouring wine from the top down through a layer of large bowls, and finally passing the wine into the bottom bowl to the guest’s mouth. It means that the enthusiasm of the Miao people is as high as the mountain, and the friendship between them and the guests is as long as the waterfall.
Xijiang Miao Nationality Museum
This museum is shaped like a stilted building in the Miao style and has 11 exhibition halls. There are more than 1220 pieces of Miao cultural relics and more than 350 representative pictures, portraits, books and so on. You can learn about the uniqueness and diversity of Miao culture.
Gage Ancient Lane
Gage Ancient Lane is one of the must-see spots in Xijiang Thousand Households Miao Village for many tourists. There are many old wooden houses on both sides of the ancient lane, and the wooden walls are painted with murals of national customs. These vivid and colorful murals record the mysterious totems of the Miao people, beautiful legends, and grand Miao New Year scenes. In the ancient lane, there is the “Jiaji Bridge” which shows traditional Miao family culture of bridge worship.
In addition, you can enjoy the performance of ancient epic songs passed down from generation to generation by the Miao people, displays of Miao embroidery intangible cultural heritage and silver jewelry forging, and taste Leishan green tea.
How to Get to Xijiang Miao Village
By Bus: You can take the direct bus at Leishan Bus Station Xijiang Miao Village, or take the bus at Kaili Bus Station in Kaili City.
By Self-driving: If you drive from Guiyang City, you can follow the Hukun Expressway to reach Kaili, then turn onto the Kailei Expressway and get off at Xijiang (Liancheng) exit. If you head to the Hukun Expressway from Hunan province along the direction of Huaihua and Kaili (without passing Kaili), then it is recommended that you turn into the Kailei Expressway, and finally leave the expressway at the Xijiang (Liancheng) exit to Xijiang Miao Village.
By High-speed Rail: After arriving at Kaili South Railway Station, you can take the sightseeing bus or taxi to Xijiang. Or take the bus to Kaili Bus Station first, then transfer to bus from Kaili to Xijiang to Xijiang Miao Village. At present, Kaili South Railway Station can be reached from Beijing, Changsha, Guiyang, Chongqing, Chengdu, Kunming, Nanchang, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Shanghai, Nanjing and other places.
By Air: Most people who travel to guizhou will choose Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport, which is about 3 hours’ drive from Xijiang Miao Village. When you arrive at the airport, you can transfer by high-speed train to Kaili South Railway Station. Or you can go to Guiyang East Bus Station, which has the direct bus to Kaili. In addition, the closest airport to Xijiang is Kaili Huangping Airport, but only a few flights are currently in operation.
Attractions nearby Xijiang Miao Village
- Langde Miao Village: With a history of more than 600 years, Langde Miao Village attracts tourists with its original Miao cultureand unadorned style
- Datang Short Skirt Miao Village: It is known for theunique Miao dress and culture. Miao women here wear traditional skirts that are only 5-7 inches long all year round.
- Leigongshan Nature Reserve: Itis rich in biological resources and boasts beautiful natural scenery, with nearly 2,000 species of creatures.
