On the Road 2

We came out from Long Horn Miao Village and went straight to Zhaoxing Dong Village.

Zhaoxing Dong Village, located in the southeast of Liping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, is one of the largest Dong villages in the country, and is known as "the first village in the Dong village".

After an hour and a half of driving, we arrived at the parking lot of Zhaoxing Dong Village at around 11:30 am. The opposite of the parking lot is the Zhaoxing Dong Village Visitor Service Center, which is a large square in front of the service center. Standing in the center of the square, I feel very small.

Looking up, the building of the Tourist Service Center is very distinctive, like a pagoda connected together. On the left side of the square is a huge silver bullhorn-shaped arch, and on the right side are several blue and yellow tower-shaped constructs. These tower-shaped structures are mostly octagonal in shape, and at first I didn't know what they were, but later I realized that this kind of building is called a drum tower.One of the branch venues of the 2018 CCTV Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Dog is located here - in the square in front of the Visitor Service Center of Zhaoxing Dong Village in Qiandongnan, Guizhou Province! And the blue and yellow steel towers on the right, which were built for the needs of the gala performances at that time, are now prohibited from climbing and landing.

After purchasing tickets, the four of us entered through the scenic area gate and walked along the main street toward the fortress. It is about 1 kilometer from the scenic spot gate to the gate of the Dong village. The road surface are built with cement imitation patterned road, interspersed with green slate road, small stone road. Both sides of the street are wooden buildings, 1-3 stories high, lined up, stretching from the scenic spot gate along the main street and both sides of the river to the depth of the village. There are no houses without business, just different commodities for sale. Let you suspect that you are walking in the Dong Village Yiwu Commodity Wholesale Market. If you look closely at these wooden buildings, you will find that these buildings are actually reinforced concrete constructed brick houses, only the outside are covered with a wooden coat. Ancient architectural forms and modern building materials into one, although for the solidity of the house and the construction of the convenience, but less unspeakable flavor.

Bathed in an endless bombardment of colorful flags, signboards and noisy images and sounds, we walked and watched all the way.

It was midday when we stopped at a small store to buy yogurt, buy 4 get 1 free. the little glass bottles containing the yogurt were exquisite, and the young male shopkeeper didn't forget to warn us, "If you go back the same way you came, you can bring the bottles back to us. It's a good quality bottle and it's a shame to throw it in the trash." His advice made us scrutinize the bottle, and we really thought it was good, a bit of art. And then really didn't want to throw away, all the way to tinker with a few thousand miles to bring it back home, Mrs. said with it loaded with chili powder and so on how good ah.

Walking to the village, and continue to see more and more drums, it seems to be the street in front of the alley, turn your head on the visible. These drums are named after "a group", such as the letter group drums, drums, drums, drums, drums, drums, drums, drums, and so on, together with "benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith". It is said to be the Zhaoxing Dong village of the five houses, all for the Lu surname, living in the village of the five districts, the local area for the "group", so named.

According to information, the Dong village drum tower is a concentrated manifestation of the Dong architectural skills. The shape is like a polyhedral pagoda. Generally more than 20 meters high, from 1 layer to the top, all relying on 16 cedar column support. The heart of the building is wide and flat, about 10 square meters square, the bottom floor is transparent, the middle of the stone with a large fire pit, surrounded by wooden railings, with long wooden benches, for resting. The tip of the building, built with a precious gourd or millennium crane, symbolizing the village auspicious and safe. Building eaves protruding up, giving people exquisite elegance, such as flying like a sense of leap.

Xin Tuan Drum Tower is the first well-preserved drum tower we have seen, with a sense of history, it towers in the middle of the main street on the right. According to the letter Mission Drum Tower plaque: "The building for the heavy eaves save the tip of the pagoda octagonal drum tower, 11 layers, 24.37 meters high, covering an area of 136 square meters, the Dong language is called 'Lou Du迫'，for the white, the horse family built. Built in the 18th century, rebuilt in 1982, palm ink master for the Tang An people Lu Jixian."

At noon, the wooden benches under the drum tower of the Xin Tuan were full of chatting and resting villagers, among which there was no lack of curious tourists intermingled. I also walked into the middle of the drum tower to take a closer look, in the middle of the open space is the fire pit, the drum tower vaulted ceiling of the painting beam is black black color, must be the smoke rising from the fire pit long smoked black.

Continuing to move forward, leisurely see a small river through the village meandering down, both sides of the river bank is full of black and brown footstools. The river is built with a number of corridor bridge, locally known as the Flower Bridge, also all in the "a regiment" named, it is also said to be "benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom and faith" five Flower Bridge, we did not count carefully.

The function of the flower bridge on the river is very good to understand, no need to explain more. But what is the drum tower for? Old Huang and I walked and looked and talked. We feel that the Drum Tower is like a shrine for our Hakka people, a place to worship our ancestors and sages. With the development of society and the diversification of cultural life, all the major events related to the future destiny of the family or the daily affairs of marriage and funerals can also be mostly discussed and organized in the ancestral hall.

We continue to walk down the street to the village gate, all the way to see, all kinds of business, according to the situation, but lamented that it is not easy to make a living.

Finally saw the village door, some people are surprised, because it is too inconspicuous, but also some dilapidated, and the door is also placed in the two stinking green garbage cans, as well as the door in front of the door behind the residents of the chaotic stacking of debris, extremely incongruous, the entire scenic area of the management of the enhancement is still pending.

From the walled gate back, we passed by the drum tower of Rengtuan and Rengtuan Huaqiao, Huaqiao Qiaotou side is the VIP building. VIP building of the footsteps of the stairs is very rustic, up to the second floor to realize that this is the original hotel. Looking around, the VIP building hotel surrounded by mountains and rivers, quiet and natural, if you can stay here for a night, think about it must be good.

And once again, we passed by the drum tower. The drum tower is already bustling with activity. The first thing you need to do is to get your hands on some of the most popular products and services in the world, and you'll be able to do it all in one place. The songs seemed ethereal and melodious. The surrounding area was filled with tourists. I think everyone, like me, didn't understand a word of it. How artistic, it is impossible to judge, because I looked closely at these Dong people dressed in costumes, singing eyes wandering, absent-minded, hanging skillful professional smile, completely in the show, pretending to show the tourists.

Time is limited, it is better to buy something to go home.

The women's hostesses have already run into the air-dried beef store to cut up the beef jerky before we turned back.

At this time, a heavy rain came unexpectedly. The water is the wealth, I think, this is the Zhaoxing Dong Village left us the best gift.

In a hurry, we left for our next stop, Libo.

Sitting in the car, looking back at the video of the people singing in the Dong village of Gulou, the letter group, I suddenly had the impulse to put lyrics to it--

Guests from afar, please come to the Dong village

The guys here are bold and the girls are lovely

Scoop out the sweet rice wine

Sing up the melodious mountain songs.

The Drum Tower, the ancient Flower Bridge

The beautiful mountains and waters of the beautiful Dong village

......