14 Days in Qiandongnan

The museum's ethnic halls - costume, silverwork, the Grand Song, UNESCO-listed since 2009 - set the key; the Shanghai-Kunming HSR stops at Kaili South, about an hour from Guiyang.

1. qiandongnan kaili ethnic museum
2. qiandongnan city markets

About 35 km east and roughly 1,300 Miao households; viewing platform after dark, overnight inside the village for the lit hillside.

1. qiandongnan xijiang miao village

Road and rail east about two hours to the river town whose name dates to 1258; the evening belongs to the wall walk.

1. qiandongnan zhenyuan old town

Qinglong Cave's 30-odd halls began in the Ming Hongwu era of the late 1300s; Shiping Hill's S-bend view and a short boat ride close the loop.

1. qiandongnan qinglong cave
2. qiandongnan zhenyuan old town

An honest neighbour day - Tongren's Fanjingshan, a UNESCO natural site since 2018, takes about three hours by road east from Zhenyuan; start before seven for the shuttles and stairs of the 2,500-m red-clouds plateau.

1. tongren

Back west and south to Rongjiang, where the Sanbao Dong settlement lines the river with dozens of centuries-old banyans; the 2014 Guiyang-Guangzhou HSR stops here too.

1. qiandongnan rongjiang sanbao

On to Congjiang station and a short shuttle to Zhaoxing - five drum towers for five clan hamlets, wind-rain bridges and evening song sessions; overnight in the village.

1. qiandongnan zhaoxing dong village

The old stone path climbs about 5 km from Zhaoxing to the eco-museum hamlet on its terrace shelf; walk up, lunch there, amble back for drum-tower night.

1. qiandongnan tangan terraces

A hamlet about 20 km out, a cradle of the Dong Grand Song UNESCO inscribed in 2009; ask locally about evening rehearsals - they happen when the singers are home.

1. qiandongnan xiaohuang village

An honest slow day into the hills - Zengchong's drum tower of 1672 ranks among the oldest Dong towers standing, a national protected building in a quiet riverside hamlet.

1. qiandongnan zengchong drum tower

An honest long day - Jiabang's terraced slopes lie about three hours of mountain road west; mist after rain stacks the ridgelines, and a guesthouse night splits the drive.

1. qiandongnan jiabang terraces

About 7 km from Congjiang county town; the men's old muskets are a heritage custom and boys' coming-of-age haircuts are traditionally done with a sickle - visit unhurried and check demonstration times at the gate.

1. qiandongnan basha village

An honest neighbour hop - under two hours by HSR from Congjiang to Guilin for the lakes and the riverfront; a relaxed first evening in town.

1. guilin

One last morning by the water - the Elephant Trunk park or a cormorant-fisherman sunset if the season allows - then the airport bus for the flight home.

1. guilin