The Xijiang 1,000-household Miao village is located at the foot of Leigong Mountain in northeast Leishan county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture in southwest China's Guizhou province.

Xijiang 1,000-household Miao Village. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It is the largest Miao ethnic village in China and is unparalleled around the world. In this village, folk customs such as Miao farming, festivals, silver ornaments, ethnic costumes, food, songs and dances have been passed down from generation to generation, making it the best place to experience and learn about the long history and development of the Miao ethnic group in China.

The village has been praised by Chinese and foreign scholars and folklorists as the place where the "original ecology" of Miao culture is most preserved, and it is known as the "the Miao capital of China".

Lying amidst mountains, the village is a conglomeration of more than ten naturally formed villages with terraced rice fields rising up along the slopes. The Baishui River flows through the villages, dividing the Xijiang Miao village into two parts.

Due to limited cultivated land resources, the people of the Miao ethnic group built more than one thousand Diaojiaolou (wooden-stilted houses) with peculiar Miao characteristics on hillsides. Layer upon layer of closely connected houses make for some spectacular scenery. Xijiang Qianhu Miao village is famous for its festivals, such as the annual Miaonian Festival (the New Year Festival of the Miao ethnic group), Chixin (or Harvest Festival), and Guzang Festival, which takes place just once every 13 years. The village cluster, known as an open-air museum, displays the grandeur of the Miao nationality’s development and offers visitors a chance to enjoy and study the local culture.

Due to the steadily increasing investment and publicity in recent years, the Xijiang scenic spot has seen improved infrastructure and facilities and an increasing number of tourists, and it has enjoyed more popularity around the world.

The village has been honored with awards such as the Flying Swallow Award and the Best Folk Culture Award for rural tourism, and has also been named among the following: "100 Most Beautiful Towns in China", "Ten Charming Scenic Spots in Guizhou", "The Most Charming Ethnic Village in Guizhou", "National 4A-class Tourist Attractions", "New Landmark of Chinese Cultural Tourism", one of the top ten tourist towns (villages), and the most beautiful "original" open-air museum.

Tips

Best time to go: All year

Admission: 100 yuan ($14.43)/person

How to get there: Take a bus from Kaili, the capital city of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, to Xijiang town, Leishan county.