Dragon Boat Festival

This morning your travel begins as you fly or take the train to Guiyang. Upon your arrival at the airport or station, your local guide welcomes you and drives you about 3 to 3.5 hours to Kaili, the capital of the Miao and Dong Minority Autonomous Region. This city serves as the vibrant heart of Miao culture, known for hosting over 120 festivals each year. The Miao people are renowned throughout China for their incredible arts and crafts, including exquisite silver jewelry, detailed embroidery, colorful brocade, intricate batik work, and delicate paper cutting.

This afternoon, you dive right into the local history with a visit to the Kaili Museum. As an exceptional open-air museum, it showcases the nationality culture and customs of the region, housing about 100 families and over 500 people, all of the Miao Nationality. You explore the exhibitions and then settle into your accommodation at the Wyndham Kaili Downtown Hotel for a restful evening.

Your day continues with a drive of about 40 minutes to the ethnic villages near the Leishan area. You first visit Langde Miao Village, an ancient settlement where about 300 Miao families now live. You will hike for 1 hour to connect with this old village. As you explore the area, you learn that the ancestors of this group settled here roughly 900 years ago, and the village was a significant site during the 1860s, serving as the birthplace for many leaders of the Miao people's rebellion against the Manchuria court. Langde is a wonderful place to experience traditional Miao architecture and customs up close.

Next, you visit Paika Village, located near Leishan downtown, which stands as another cultural center for the Miao. This village is famous for the Long-Skirt Miao costumes and, more uniquely, for its traditional Lusheng musical pipe-making process. You spend time with a family who has made Lusheng pipes for generations, and you have the exciting opportunity to make your own pipe and learn how to play this distinct instrument!

Later this afternoon, you drive to Shidong Village, which is the central location for the annual Dragon Boat Festival. You explore the enchanting maze of old wooden houses and see traditional silver ornaments being made. The festival here has a very long history, and you witness the unique tradition of people hanging live geese and ducks on the head of the dragon boat and displaying live pigs in the vessel before leaving the animals on the bank for a post-race feast. You then get to watch the exciting preliminary Dragon Boat Racing for about 2 hours. After the races conclude, you drive about 1.5 hours back to Kaili for the evening.

Note: Lunch on Day 2 and Day 3 is pre-arranged because there are no restaurants available on site due to the traditional Chinese festival in the villages.

After breakfast, you drive about 1 hour to visit Chong’an Miao town and the Wangba Gejia subgroup village. You explore the village, known for the beautiful, hand-made batik clothing of the Gejia people, who share deep cultural ties with the Miao. You enjoy an easy hike through this lush, authentic setting. If the opportunity arises, you visit a local family and join them in farm work, perhaps helping to pick vegetables in their field.

Later in the day, you drive for about 2 hours to return to Shidong. Here, you witness the final Dragon Boat Racing in the afternoon. As the festival’s climax, this dramatic event is the perfect opportunity to experience the powerful traditions and joy of the Miao people.

In the late afternoon, you drive about 1.5 hours back to Kaili for your final night.

 

Your final morning begins with breakfast at the hotel. You then check out and transfer about 3 to 3.5 hours back to the Guiyang airport for your flight home or to your next destination