Hidden in Guizhou’s Green Wonderland: Tang’an Dong Village

Starting from Zhaoxing Dong Village, follow the downhill trail to Tang’an, and you can complete this National Geographic-favored hiking route in just 2 hours! The terraced fields in June look like overturned cans of green paint, with layers of rice seedlings swaying like waves in the mountain breeze. The most amazing part is the stone-built ridges — over 100 years ago, the 61-year-old master craftsman Pan Chuanda spent 12 years building the “Great Wall Terraces” alone. You can still see moss growing in the cracks between the stones, a trace of time’s breath～​ 📸 Must-shoot spots:​ Second floor of the First Encounter Dessert Shop: Spend 8 yuan on a cup of bayberry juice to unlock panoramic views of the terraces and stilted buildings. The 6 PM light dyes the terraces golden green, and twirling in a light-colored tie-dye dress instantly creates a scene straight out of a Studio Ghibli animation!​ Village Gate Viewing Platform: A 15-minute walk toward Tang’an leads to the village gate. On the left are layers of stone terraced fields, and on the right, wooden stilted buildings with smoke drifting from cooking fires. Wearing a straw hat and shooting against the light maximizes the atmosphere～​ 🎨 Culture: Wear intangible cultural heritage in this thousand-year-old Dong village​ The drum towers of Tang’an seem frozen in time. Elders dressed in indigo Dong cloth sing grand songs in front of the opera stage, their voices penetrating the entire valley! Highly recommend trying batik — learn from local aunties how to draw patterns on white cloth with beeswax. When dipping the cloth into the indigo vat, your fingertips will pick up the fresh scent of isatis root. When removing the wax, the cracked ice-like patterns on the fabric resemble the veins of the terraces. Oh, and be sure to visit the Wind and Rain Bridge at night! Under the pale moon and sparse stars, Dong youths play the pipa and sing love songs on the bridge. Even if you don’t understand the lyrics, the romance will touch your heart～​ 🍲 Food + Accommodation: Taste the mountain flavors and fall asleep with the terraces as your pillow​ At the restaurant near the viewing platform, be sure to order the sour soup rice fragrance fish! The fish is freshly caught from the terraces, and the sour soup is fermented with wild tomatoes. One sip feels like swallowing the refreshing essence of summer～ Also try the black glutinous rice, a limited delicacy only available during the Grain Rain Festival. The rice is soaked in dye flowers to turn purple-black and tastes amazing mixed with honey!​ For comfortable stays, return to Zhaoxing and try the Dong Shang Art Hotel, where opening the window reveals the entire terraced field; for a budget option, choose Tongfu Inn at the entrance of Tang’an Village. From the wooden stilted building’s second-floor balcony, you can watch the morning mist slowly rise from the terraces～​ ⚠ Practical Tips (Key points!)​ Tickets: Tang’an is free! Zhaoxing Dong Village is 80 yuan, and Guangdong visitors get free admission with ID card～​ Transport: If you don’t want to hike, you can take a motorized tricycle for 20 yuan one way. The driver will stop at the best viewing platform～​ What to wear: Light-colored long skirts / tie-dye clothes + non-slip shoes. Remember sunglasses and sun-protective shirts; UV rays are very strong in the mountains!​ Fire safety: The ancient village is all wooden buildings, so please don’t smoke inside the village～​ 💬 Interactive Topic​ Do you know why stone terraced fields can only be built by one person? We’ll randomly pick 3 lucky commenters to receive handmade Dong cloth bookmarks～ This summer, let’s go to Guizhou’s “Green Wonderland” and step on the terraces together!​ #GuizhouTravelHighlight #IntangibleCulturalHeritageExperience #HiddenHikingRoutes #SummerVacationPlan