Zhaoxing is the village the Dong people themselves call home — the largest and grandest Dong village in Guizhou, built around five magnificent drum towers. Come for the architecture, stay for the evening when the whole village gathers to sing the Dong Grand Song.
The Dong (Kam) are one of China's 56 ethnic groups, known for two things above all: extraordinary architecture and extraordinary singing. Their villages are built around drum towers — tall, many-tiered wooden pagodas that serve as meeting halls, landmarks and the heart of communal life — and crossed with covered wind-rain bridges that span the streams with elegant curves and no nails at the joints.
| Sight | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Five drum towers | Zhaoxing has one for each of its five "house groups" — the oldest are centuries old, all built with mortise-and-tenon joinery, no nails |
| Wind-rain bridges | Covered bridges over the village stream — rest, shade and the classic Dong silhouette |
| The Grand Song stage | Evening performances of the Dong Grand Song, often in the village square |
| Village lanes | Stone paths, stilt houses and food stalls — the village lives at ground level, and wandering is the point |
The Dong Grand Song (Dongzu Dage) is listed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It's polyphonic choral music — a dozen or more voices in independent parts, no instruments, no conductor — passed down orally for generations. When a Dong choir sings, the sound seems to come from everywhere at once.
In Zhaoxing you can catch performances most evenings. Ask about timing when you arrive — a quiet family performance at a smaller venue can be even more moving than the main stage.
Just around Zhaoxing are quieter Dong villages — Tang'an, with its ridgeline views and embroidery tradition, and others reached on foot or by a short drive. If Zhaoxing is the grand showcase, these are where you'll find Dong daily life without the crowds. On our cultural tour we combine Zhaoxing with a smaller village and a family home dinner.
Ask us to include a Dong village home dinner or a small-group Grand Song performance on your itinerary.