Backpacking Adventure
26 days through 6 Provinces in China
Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi
and 3 days in Hanoi, North Vietnam
29th Mar <> 26th Apr 2011
this is Xijiang by night
this Kaili township is quite modern
another street scene in Kaili town
this is Kaili bus station
the beautiful country side - farm houses
entrance fee of Y60 to get into Xijiang Miao Village
panoramic view of the village from the mountain road leading down to village
Xijiang is a village in Eastern Guizhou, known as the largest Miao village in China. It bears the title 'thousand household village' and has a little over a thousand residential dwellings, which amounts to a population of over 5000, of which 99.5% are Miao.
It is often quoted by researchers as a living fossil for the study of the Miao people's history and traditional culture. It is host to a number of festivals, particularly around the Chinese new year, where Miao from surrounding villages.
am taking a rest in my room at Full View guesthouse
a boy from the guesthouse having his dinner
a night view of the lighted Xijiang from my room at Full View guesthouse
there are two such beautiful bridges on the river
Xijiang is an incredible collection of closely packed wooden houses built on river stone foundations well arranged up the side of two adjacent hills.
Full View guesthouse
the market street scene
honey and royal jelly for sale along the street
I am giving a helping hand in pounding the sticky rice
Lee Kam Boon also helped to pay for food eaten
sticky rice almost like our local "mua chi" wrap up with filling of our choice
more street scenes with Lim Peng Peng
Senior Citizen's Association in session
these well dressed old ladies in their finery sitting pretty with the silver neck band
that is why Xijiang is so unique ... the whole village is a living Miao experience for visitors whilst the Miao people can continue their traditional lifestyle & also enjoy a little bit more prosperity from tourism
they converge here to do the Miao welcome dance for visitors - govt. pay Y14 per day
silver is a much favoured metal
a very good shot of this old man digging his nose
this steps took us up the hill slope to the top
a young Miao girl in traditional dress coming down for the cultural performance
beautiful sight of the haphazard clusters of Miao houses along the hill slope
a beautiful look out point on the hill
the stone wall house with corn being air dried along the veranda
am walking on the edge and has to be very careful not to roll over
beautiful sight of the rice terraces on the hill slopes and valleys
an elderly man repairing the stone foundation of his house
I am walking on the edge again with panoramic view of the valley below
a stone grave along the trek beside the houses
the Dating Ground for lovers is a cemetery and is the highest point of the hill
twice a day, the villagers turn performers and put on a Miao show for visitor - is free
this girls have such an intricate head gears
look at her silver jewellery
Lee and Bernard having beef noodles for lunch
Ms Gan enjoying the food - to avoid washing a plastic is wrapped over the bowl
workers cleaning and upgrading the river banks
a Miao lady auctioning her little piglets
this is the new entrance .. looks grander with the huge parking lots
the best time is dinner time at the guesthouse
there are many such gate along the long and winding mountain road
part of the 6 hour drive through the mountain roads - very misty
taking a break for toilet
wooden country houses along the road
at Yongjiang town - an iconic pagoda of Yongjiang
in a cloud of dust and dirt road
the packed bus ride from Yongjiang to Congjiang - student can hitch a ride for free
this is Congjiang town - arriving at 6pm
Total expenses in China to-date is RM2,261 per person
26 days through 6 Provinces in China
Sichuan, Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, Guizhou, Guangxi
and 3 days in Hanoi, North Vietnam
29th Mar <> 26th Apr 2011
this is Xijiang by nightDay 16 (13.04.2011) Fenghuang > Tongren > Kaili > Xijiang
Getting to Xijiang, we first took the 9am bus (Y1) to Tongren, got on a 12pm bus (Y82) to Kaili and changed into another 4pm bus (Y24) to Xijiang. Started the bus journey at 9am and reaching our destination at 6pm - it was a long journey getting to Xijiang from Fenghuang ... by local bus ride
We stayed at Full View guesthouse at Y120 a room for 2 and dinner here. This guesthouse is strongly recommended as it is clean, quiet and has full view of the whole Xijiang Miao Village. The food prepared by the guesthouse is also fantastic.
Xijiang is an incredible collection of closely packed wooden houses built on river stone foundations well arranged up the side of two adjacent hills.
We stayed at Full View guesthouse at Y120 a room for 2 and dinner here. This guesthouse is strongly recommended as it is clean, quiet and has full view of the whole Xijiang Miao Village. The food prepared by the guesthouse is also fantastic.
Xijiang is an incredible collection of closely packed wooden houses built on river stone foundations well arranged up the side of two adjacent hills.
this Kaili township is quite modernanother street scene in Kaili townthis is Kaili bus stationthe beautiful country side - farm housesentrance fee of Y60 to get into Xijiang Miao Village panoramic view of the village from the mountain road leading down to villageXijiang is a village in Eastern Guizhou, known as the largest Miao village in China. It bears the title 'thousand household village' and has a little over a thousand residential dwellings, which amounts to a population of over 5000, of which 99.5% are Miao. It is often quoted by researchers as a living fossil for the study of the Miao people's history and traditional culture. It is host to a number of festivals, particularly around the Chinese new year, where Miao from surrounding villages.am taking a rest in my room at Full View guesthousea boy from the guesthouse having his dinnera night view of the lighted Xijiang from my room at Full View guesthousethere are two such beautiful bridges on the riverDay 17 (14.04.2011) Xijiang
In the morning we trekked up the narrow stepped, lanes through the villages along the hill slopes right up to the top where we saw the Dating Ground. This place is where the young Miao couples meet and chat. We also had seen how the people built their own wooden houses with river stone foundation. At 11.30am we had the opportunity to see a half hour free cultural show performed twice daily with songs and dances.
In the afternoon at 2.30pm, we trekked 4km to Gan Rong to visit another Miao Village with farmyard and rice-terrace. In the evening after dinner, we went again for the specially arranged Miao cultural show at the square.
In the afternoon at 2.30pm, we trekked 4km to Gan Rong to visit another Miao Village with farmyard and rice-terrace. In the evening after dinner, we went again for the specially arranged Miao cultural show at the square.
Xijiang is an incredible collection of closely packed wooden houses built on river stone foundations well arranged up the side of two adjacent hills.Full View guesthousethe market street scenehoney and royal jelly for sale along the streetI am giving a helping hand in pounding the sticky riceLee Kam Boon also helped to pay for food eatensticky rice almost like our local "mua chi" wrap up with filling of our choicemore street scenes with Lim Peng PengSenior Citizen's Association in sessionthese well dressed old ladies in their finery sitting pretty with the silver neck bandthat is why Xijiang is so unique ... the whole village is a living Miao experience for visitors whilst the Miao people can continue their traditional lifestyle & also enjoy a little bit more prosperity from tourismthey converge here to do the Miao welcome dance for visitors - govt. pay Y14 per daysilver is a much favoured metala very good shot of this old man digging his nosethis steps took us up the hill slope to the topa young Miao girl in traditional dress coming down for the cultural performancebeautiful sight of the haphazard clusters of Miao houses along the hill slopea beautiful look out point on the hillthe stone wall house with corn being air dried along the verandaam walking on the edge and has to be very careful not to roll overbeautiful sight of the rice terraces on the hill slopes and valleysan elderly man repairing the stone foundation of his houseI am walking on the edge again with panoramic view of the valley belowa stone grave along the trek beside the housesthe Dating Ground for lovers is a cemetery and is the highest point of the hilltwice a day, the villagers turn performers and put on a Miao show for visitor - is freethis girls have such an intricate head gearslook at her silver jewelleryLee and Bernard having beef noodles for lunchMs Gan enjoying the food - to avoid washing a plastic is wrapped over the bowlworkers cleaning and upgrading the river banksa Miao lady auctioning her little pigletsthis is the new entrance .. looks grander with the huge parking lotsthe best time is dinner time at the guesthouseDay 18 (15.04.2011) Xijiang > Yongjiang > Congjiang
Another 9 hours of long travelling day as we first took two vans (Y600 each) at 8.30am to Yongjiang in a 6 hour drive through the mountain roads to avoid the bumpy normal route to Yongjiang which is under repair. Then from Yongjiang we took a 3 hour bus (Y20) journey to Congjiang arriving at 6pm.
For the first time in my travel that we are not able to reach our destination. Today we are supposed to reach Chenyang to view the 'bridge house', but by the time we arrived at Congjiang it was too late to proceed further, so we had no choice but to stay a night at a local hotel (Y80) and had dinner at a cafe nearby. This town is dusty and dirty due to road works and housing development everywhere.
For the first time in my travel that we are not able to reach our destination. Today we are supposed to reach Chenyang to view the 'bridge house', but by the time we arrived at Congjiang it was too late to proceed further, so we had no choice but to stay a night at a local hotel (Y80) and had dinner at a cafe nearby. This town is dusty and dirty due to road works and housing development everywhere.
stopped in a small village for the van drivers to take their breakfast
there are many such gate along the long and winding mountain roadpart of the 6 hour drive through the mountain roads - very mistytaking a break for toiletwooden country houses along the roadanswering nature's call by the road side
at Yongjiang town - an iconic pagoda of Yongjiangin a cloud of dust and dirt roadthe packed bus ride from Yongjiang to Congjiang - student can hitch a ride for freethis is Congjiang town - arriving at 6pmTotal expenses in China to-date is RM2,261 per person
2 comments:
Simply breathtaking scenery and beautiful landscapes in Guizhou. Thank you so much for your kind sharing, Bro. Ching!!!
I can see a pic of me scouting around for a secluded spot for nature's call ! :)
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