Qiandongnan Culture

The people in southeast Guizhou(Qiandongnan) are plain, hardworking, kind-hearted and hospitable. With their own wisdom, all ethnic groups in Qiandongnan have created a beautiful home, in the meantime, created splendid and colorful ethnic culture, formed customs and practices with different features. 

Ethnic Groups

There are 33 ethnic groups in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, including Miao, Dong, Han, Buyi, Shui, Yao, Zhuang and Tujia. In the permanent resident population, ethnic minorities population accounts for 80.3% of the total registered population, among which Miao people are 42.5% and Dong people are 29.5%. 

Ethnic Townships

There are 15 ethnic townships in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture. 

Traditional Villages in Qiandongnan

There are many traditional villages and minority villages in Qiandongnan. Here below are just a fraction of them. 

• Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village in Leishan County of Qiandongnan
• Langde Miao Village in Leishan County of Qiandongnan
• Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County, Qiandongnan
• Basha Miao Village in Congjiang County of Qiandongnan
• Jidao Long-skirt Miao Village(季刀寨) in Kaili of Qiandongnan
• Qingman Short-skirt Miao Village(青曼苗村) in Kaili of Qiandongnan
• Langli Village(朗利村) in Sankeshu Town of Kaili, Qiandongnan
• Nanhua Village(南花村) in Sankeshu Town of Kaili, Qiandongnan
• Nanjiang Village(南江村) in Kaitang Town of Kaili, Qiandongnan
• Matang Gejia Village(麻塘革家寨) in Kaili of Qiandongnan

Inheritors of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Qiandongnan

Local Customs

• Festivals: Qiandongnan is known as the land of festivals. There are more than 200 festivals in a year. Main ethnic festivals include Lusheng Festival, Papo(爬坡) Festival, Sister's Meal Festival and Miao's New Year of Miao people;  Dong's New Year, Wrestling Festival and Linwang Festival(林王节) of Dong people; Duan Festival(端节) of Shui people; and Panwang Festival(盘王节) of Yao, etc. 
• Song and Dance: Qiandongnan is known as the "sea of song and dance". The Miao's "flying songs" and "Youfang songs(游方歌)", as well as "ancient songs", "toasting songs", "grand songs" have different modes. There are chorus songs and solo songs in Dong songs, especially the "grand songs" of Dong without accompaniment and conductor. Ethnic dances mainly include the Miao's wooden drum dance and Caigu dance(踩鼓舞), which are called "Oriental disco", the Lusheng dance and the Dong's "Duoye dance(多耶舞)". 
• Crafts: Ethnic crafts include Miao batik and Dong brocade, as well as Miao and Dong embroidery. Others like Stilt-house Diaojiao, Yayuan Manor(衙院庄园) of Tujia, as well as drum tower and flower bridge of Dong. 
• Activities: Festival activities include singing and dancing, bullfighting and horse racing, blowing Lusheng, trampling bronze drum, dragon-boat racing, playing dragon lanterns, singing dong opera and so on. Traditional sports activities of ethnic minorities mainly include "dragon boat rowing" and martial arts of the Miao ethnic group, and "sparkler-grabbing" of the dong ethnic group known as "Oriental Rugby". 
• National Intangible Cultural Heritages: National intangible cultural heritages in Qiandongnan include Miao Ancient Song, Dong Grand Song, Dong Pipa Song, Miao Lusheng Dance, Miao Embroidery, Miao Batik, sister's meal festival of Miao, Yang Asha(仰阿莎), Miao's New Year, Dong Embroidery and the like.