Zhaoxing Dong Village

Zhaoxing Dong Village is located in the southeastern part of Liping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province, covering an area of 180,000 square meters. As of the 2012 census, it has more than 1,100 households and over 6,000 residents, making it one of the largest Dong villages in the country, and is known as the 'No.1 Dong Village'. In 2004, it was designated as a national scenic area by the State Council. Liping Zhaoxing Dong Village is the largest Dong village in Liping County and one of the oldest. In 2005, in the 'Beautiful China' campaign organized by 'Chinese National Geography' and 33 influential media organizations, Zhaoxing Dong Village was selected as one of the 'six most beautiful ancient towns and villages in China'; in 2007, it was chosen by 'China's Fashion Travel' and 'National Geographic Traveler' as one of the '33 most attractive travel destinations in the world'. The village is surrounded by mountains and built in a basin among the hills, with a dense collection of ancient buildings, including flower bridges, drum towers, streams, and stilted buildings. The houses in the village are all stilted buildings made of fir wood, with hard mountain tops covered with small green tiles, arranged in a well-organized and picturesque manner. The largest group of Dong drum tower buildings in the country is located here, unique among all Dong villages, hence it is also known as the 'Hometown of Drum Towers'.