黔东南苗族侗族自治州

Why this place

Qiandongnan is the Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture in southeastern Guizhou, and it has the greatest concentration of traditional minority villages in the country: wooden stilt houses on hillsides, drum towers, wind-and-rain bridges, and festivals where hundreds of people sing in costume.

What to see

• Xijiang Qianhu Miao village — the largest Miao village, lit up at night on its hillside
• Zhaoxing and the Dong villages, with their drum towers and covered bridges
• The Miao festivals — the Sister's Meal Festival in spring and the Lusheng festival in autumn
• Zhenyuan ancient town on the Wuyang River, and the Dong villages of the Rongjiang valley

What to eat

• Miao sour fish and sour soup — the sourness comes from fermentation, not vinegar
• Dong 'oil tea' and the local glutinous rice; beef with 'niubie' (a bitter herb) is a genuine local speciality
• Rice wine, drunk from a horn at village festivals

How to plan

Three or four days driving between villages — Xijiang, Zhaoxing, Zhenyuan.

Best time

April–June and September–November; the festivals are the highlight, so check the lunar calendar

Practical tips

• Village guesthouses are simple; the food and the festivals are the reason to come, not the hotels