The culture and lifestyle of ethnic minorities in Guizhou have always been the highlights of attracting tourists. Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture has strong ethnic customs and magnificent mountains and rivers. For thousands of years, the Miao people have lived a self-sufficient life in the depths of Leishan. , they work at sunrise and rest at sunset, revering nature, and many villages still retain their unique way of life. The Year of the Miao is the most important festival of the year for the Miao people, and it is also an important inheritance of the national culture. Every New Year of the Miao people, the Miao people put on costumes, sing and dance, and set up a long table banquet to celebrate this tradition handed down from generation to generation in the most simple and sincere way. traditional festival.
Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village
Located at the foot of Leigong Mountain, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village is composed of more than a dozen natural villages built on the mountain. For thousands of years, the Miao people have cultivated here at sunrise and rested at sunset. Houses gradually formed the world's largest group of villages inhabited by the Miao people. Looking down from the top of the mountain, it is really majestic and spectacular.
In recent years, the development of tourism has allowed more and more people to know the Qianhu Miao Village in Xijiang, and it has also made the Miao compatriots here more and more prosperous. The Qianhu Miao Village still basically preserves the original Miao culture. Come here to understand the Miao people. One of the best options with a long history and development.
Waking up in the Miao Village in Xijiang in the early morning, the mountains and rivers are interdependent, the smoke from the cooking is faint, eat a bowl of hot rice noodles from the grandma in the inn, try hand-made glutinous rice cakes in the mountain village, and wander around the Miao Village at will, feeling the most peaceful and comfortable time.
We live in the Mountaintop Inn, and the nearby viewing platform is the best place to enjoy the panoramic view of Qianhu Miao Village. Tourists like to wear the gorgeous Miao ethnic costumes and leave good memories on the top of the mountain.
Walking along the narrow and winding stone road, walking into the depths of the mountain, most of the stilted buildings of the Miao people still maintain their original appearance, passing by the mother-in-law carrying bamboo baskets, and listening to the grandfather playing the gong to remind the neighbors to pay attention to fire prevention , time seems to reside in another era.
On the open space at the entrance of the village, the old people spontaneously gathered to form a small vegetable market, a few green vegetables, a few radishes, wild fruits picked from the mountains, and bee hives. Although the varieties are not rich, they are absolutely green and natural.
Miao people use their houses to open inns, restaurants, and shops. They don't seem to care much about business. They invite cats and dogs, drink tea and chat, and enjoy a leisurely and comfortable life.
Leishan County Celebrates the New Year of Miao
Just in time for the Miao New Year, we went to Leishan County, where there will be a grand parade every year to celebrate the most solemn festival of the Miao people in a year-Miao Nian. The time and customs of Miao Nian are different in different regions, generally between October and December. It is said that the specific time is determined by the respected old people in this area. The celebration lasts for 3 to 15 days, and people will change into costumes. Welcome the arrival of the new year.
Just in time for the Miao New Year, we went to Leishan County, where there will be a grand parade every year to celebrate the most solemn festival of the Miao people in a year-Miao Nian. The time and customs of Miao Nian are different in different regions, generally between October and December. It is said that the specific time is determined by the respected old people in this area. The celebration lasts for 3 to 15 days, and people will change into costumes. Welcome the arrival of the new year.
Parade of Intangible Heritage
The costumes of the Miao women are really dazzling, not to mention the exquisitely embroidered clothing, but the bling bling sterling silver accessories on their bodies are really surprising. It is said that the silver ornaments worn by Miao women can weigh tens of catties, and the bigger and heavier they think, the more beautiful they think. Of course, such a set of silver ornaments is very valuable, and many people regard it as a family heirloom.
For Chinese New Year, slaughtering pigs and cattle is a must. The tradition in Miao Village is to slaughter the New Year’s pigs on the day before the New Year, and the whole family eats meat together. Leishan used to be a poverty-stricken county. Through the joint efforts of the whole society, many poor people were successfully lifted out of poverty. In the parade, many out-of-poverty villagers from the surrounding areas carried whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and local specialties to show off the achievements of poverty alleviation.
Miao people from four miles and eight towns formed a parade square, dressed in gorgeous national costumes, singing and dancing, showing the charm of traditional culture to the people, and welcoming the festival with the most gorgeous and exquisite costumes.
Thirteen intangible cultural heritage parade squares, 864 old, middle-aged and young Miao men and women, dressed in different gorgeous national costumes, displayed 13 national, 9 provincial and 22 state-level intangible cultural heritages of Leishan County.
The beauties of the Miao family and the beautiful tourists who put on the costumes of the Miao family made the parade more glamorous and moving. In the legend of the Miao family, there was a goddess named "Yang Asha", who left a poignant story in pursuit of beautiful love. Later generations call it the "Ashima" of Guizhou. Such a Miao girl is really exciting.
This may be the busiest day in the county. People followed the parade through the streets and alleys. The streets were blocked, and the elderly and children also put on costumes. The excitement and joy from the heart were written on their faces.
Table Banquet for Miao Parents
The highlight of the celebration is the Miao long table banquet. For thousands of years, the long table banquet has been the highest etiquette for the Miao people to entertain guests. Whether it is a festival, a wedding or a wedding, everyone will gather in costumes hundreds of meters or even thousands of meters away. Before the dinner table, singing to the wine, it was so lively. The length of the table is related to the number of participants.
This year in Leishan County, more than 2,000 Miao friends and tourists sat around a kilometer-long table, which was spectacular. Because there were too many people, the long table was marked into several areas. It took Daddy Long Legs a full 20 minutes to walk from the head to his place. You can imagine how long it takes.
Long tables and long benches, big bowls for drinking and big bowls for eating vegetables, but although it is a long table, the dishes of each small table are the same, pickled cabbage fish hot pot is the protagonist, bacon, white-cut chicken, peanuts, Zheergen mixed vegetables are all The traditional food of the Miao nationality, the taste of the original ecology, has endless aftertaste.
The girls took turns standing up and toasting along the long table. The toasting of the Miao nationality pays attention to "mountains and flowing water". Touching it means drinking it all at once. Although the rice wine of the Miao family is not high in alcohol content, it tastes as sweet as fermented rice wine, but it has a lot of stamina, but the festival is just for fun, so drink it to your heart's content.
Langde Miao Village, the authentic Miao Nian
Langde Miao Village is a Miao village with hundreds of families in Leishan County. It is divided into upper village and lower village. It is not as huge as the thousand-household Miao village, but it is more simple and original.
During the Miao years, the whole village, old and young, gathered at the entrance of the village to toast each other. They climbed up the hillside to the Miao village, and every once in a while they were stopped by Miao elder sisters to toast and sing songs.
Old people in national costumes played Lusheng in the village and danced ancient dances to the rhythm. Some old people seemed to be over sixty years old, but they were very involved in the performance. The traditions of ancestors have not been lost here.
In the quiet small village, the villagers kill pigs and distribute them to relatives and friends, celebrating the end of the year and the beginning of the new year with delicious food.
Eating red eggs is also one of the traditional customs, which is somewhat similar to the tradition of the Han people.
I met photographers taking free photos of the old people in the village. Some old people are over 80 years old, but they have never had a photo of themselves. Such activities will definitely leave the most precious moments for them.
The "Impression of Guizhou" photography exhibition is being held in the village. Many works have recorded the simple life pictures of the Miao Village. Time will not return, only images will always be there.
travel tips
transportation
It takes about 3-4 hours to drive or charter a car from Guiyang to Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village. You can take the high-speed rail from Guiyang to Kaili, and take a car to Qianhu Miao Village for 40 minutes, with an average price of 30 yuan per person.
It is about 20 kilometers from Qianhu Miao Village to Leishan County or Langde Miao Village. It is recommended to charter a car.
stay
There are many inns and hotels in Qianhu Miao Village, which can be booked according to personal preferences. The scenery on the top of the mountain is better.
There are many business hotels in Leishan County to choose from, and the facilities are acceptable, but there seems to be no international brands.
In addition to the traditional Miao villages, Qiannan also has modern leisure and resort facilities. We stayed at Jianhe Hot Spring International Hotel. The Miao-style hotel building is very eye-catching. It is surrounded by mountains and breathes the atmosphere of the mountains. It is especially suitable for soaking in the early winter. Outdoor hot spring soup pool. The price is not too expensive compared to first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
tickets
Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village ticket + battery car 110 yuan, some websites have discounts
Langde Miao Village ticket 60 yuan
Long table banquet generally ranges from 30-60 per person