Xijiang Miao Village - The Largest Miao Village in China

Wooden Stilted Building

The main architecture of Xijiang Miao Village is the wooden stilted buildings, called in Diao Jiao Lou in Chinese. In this area, the wooden stilted houses are usually built one next to another on a 30-70 degree mountain slope, which forms a magnificent view. All these wooden architectures are without any nails and rivets. The buildings usually have three storeys, with different use. The first floor is used for storing tools and manure, raising poultry and livestock, etc. The second floor is used for living room, central room, bedroom and kitchen and out of the central room is the special place for resting and embroidery. The third floor is mainly used for storing grain, fodder and other living goods. A visit to Xijiang Miao Village, travelers should spend one night here and have a stay in the special wooden stilted house.

Wind and Rain Bridges

There are several Wind and Rain Bridges in Xijiang Village. They are built in order to improve “Feng Shui” and bring convenience to the villagers. In the past time, the Wind and Rain Bridges were wooden structure without any nails and now they are rebuilt in the structure of concrete and wooden. Every visitor entering to Xijiang Miao Village should pass through one of the Wind and Rain Bridge and you can take a rest under the bridge and appreciate some elegant design…

Panoramic View

You should never miss the panoramic view of Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village and you can enjoy it either in the daytime or at night. There are viewing decks on the opposite hill of Xijiang Miao Village and electric car can take you there. Standing on the viewing deck, you’ll enjoy picturesque and peaceful panoramic view of the whole village in the daytime. And when night falls and every household turns lights on, you’ll find the village is brilliantly illuminated like the stars hanging in the sky. And the Wind and Rain Bridges across the Bai River is dazzling and shining. You can never imagine that in this remote ethnic village the nightlife just begins.

Idyllic Farmland Scenery

Xijiang Miao Village is leaning against Leigong Mountain and surrounded by paddy fields which makes this village more attractive and picturesque. The quiet of the farmland and the busy of the village is a contrast and you can have different feeling towards Xijiang Miao Village when tour both.

Colorful Miao’s Performance

Once you enter into the village, you’ll begin to experience every aspect of Miao people. A valued old man standing in the north entrance gate welcomes you with rice wine. Miao’s singing is performed at No.2 Wind and Rain Bridge in the morning around 11:30, Lusheng performance at Old Lusheng Square, Miao’s Batik performance, traditional singing performance by the old at Tonggu Lusheng Square, cock fighting and bird flight in the market day.

Long Table Banquet

With thousand years’ history, long table banquet is the highest form of etiquette which is used for wedding, new born baby celebration and village gathering. At the table, the hosts sit at the left side of the table and the guests sit at the right side of the table. The hosts toast the guests with rice wine and welcome with beautiful songs. Taking a visit to Xijiang Village, travelers should catch the rare chance to enjoy the long table banquet with hundreds of people in the large square. If your group is not large enough, no worry, you can experience the dining etiquette in the local restaurants. There are many local delicious food served on the table, such as the Ancient Zang Meat, Cured Meat, Sliced Chicken, Fish in Sour Soup, Qingyan Tofu, etc.

Miao Ethnic Festivals

Guzang Festival

Guzang festival is the grandest ancestral worship ritual of Miao ethnic minority. The minor Guzang Festival will be held annually in the early spring and late autumn and the villagers prepare delicious meals for the gathering and other activities include bull fighting, Lusheng playing and more. The Grand Guzang Festival is celebrated every thirteen years with mysterious and solemn ancestor worship ceremony, Lusheng dance, bull fighting. Guzang Festival usually lasts about 5 to 9 days.

Some other festivals including Miao’s New Year (held in September, October and November by lunar calendar), New Rice Festival (held in June and July by lunar calendar), Lusheng Festival (held in January, February, Mach by lunar calendar). If you are interested in Miao’s festivals and want to know the detailed festival time and activities, please feel free to contact our professional travel consultants.

More about ethnic festival in China, please visit Famous Ethnic Festivals in China in 2023 >>

China Discovery is designed a classic travel route to make you an in-depth exploration in Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village. After arrival at the parking lot, you can either take a sightseeing bus or take a walk into the village. Experience welcome ceremony in the entrance gate and visit Lusehng Dancing ground and Bronze Drum Dancing Ground to watch colorful performance. Visit the museum, Peasant Painter, Guzang Starting Ground and the Leader of Labor. Reach the Dating Ground at the top of the hill and have a look at the whole village. Get down and get around to the idyllic farmland to breathe some fresh air and get back to the village and visit Embroidery workshop. After the merry time in the village, take sightseeing bus to the opposite viewing deck to have panoramic view of Xijiang Miao Village. You could either go to the viewing deck in the daytime or at night and we recommend you go at night for the night view is gorgeous. In order to fully enjoy the astonishing view of Xijiang Village in day and night, most visitors would spend at least 1 day in this village.

More information about ethnic minority villages in Guizhou, please check: Top 10 Ethnic Minority Villages in Guizhou.

Guiyang to Xijiang Miao Villages

By Private Car with China Discovery: Take a private tour with China Discovery and you will no longer need to worry about how to travel from Guiyang to Xijiang Miao Villages, and our experienced private car driver will pick you up from airport, train stations or any other places in Guiyang and then send you to Xijiang Miao Village. Along the trip, our local guide and driver would well arrange every step to provide you a comfortable trip. If interested, you can take a visit to some other attractions along the way, such as Zhenyuan Ancient Town, Upper Langde Miao Village, Mount Leigong, etc. It takes about 3 hours by car. Learn more about Kaili Attractions >>

By High Speed Train: there are more than 40 daily schedules running from Guiyang North/East Railway Station to Kaili South Railway Station. It starts in the early morning around 06:40 and ends at night around 20:40. It is very fast, only taking about 30-45mins. After get off from the trains at Kaili South Railway Station, it still takes about 50-70mins to get to Xijiang Miao Village by car. Check the real-time high speed train schedules from Guiyang to Kaili >>

By Coach: There are 1 direct coach running from Guiyang Longdongbao Bus Station (贵阳龙洞堡汽车站) to Leishan Bus Station (雷山汽车站), which departures at 10:30 and takes about 3-4 hours. Leishan County is about 22km away from Xijiang Miao Village, takes about 40-60mins by car.

▶ Learn more about: How to Get from Guiyang to Kaili

Kaili to Xijiang Miao Villages

By Private Car with China Discovery: It is highly recommended to use private car service from China Discovery. If by car, it takes less than 1 hour.

By Coach: Independent travelers can take direct bus from South Kaili High Speed Train Bus Station (凯里高铁南站公交站) to Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village Bus Station (西江千户苗寨公交站). Whole journey takes about 1.5 hours.

▶ Learn more about: How to Get to & around Kaili

Xijiang Miao Village, the largest Miao village in China, is an unmissable minority village in your Guizhou tour. However in order to explore the culture and customs of Miao minority deeper, most travelers would spend 2 or 3 days in and around Kaili City. Besides visiting Xijiang Miao Village, visitors can go further to Upper Langde Miao Village, Matang Gejia Village, Qingman Miao Village, each villages has their own characteristics. If you have one more day, you can extend to thousand-year-old Zhenyuan Ancient Town .

Since Kaili is located in the east of Guizhou, between Guiyang City and Rongjiang/Congjiang. It is a good idea to extend your Kaili trip longer that you can add Guiyang, Congjiang, Rongjiang into your Guizhou Kaili trip. No matter you come from Guiyang or from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, you won’t miss the most highlighted Miao and Dong ethnic villages in Southeast Guizhou.

>> 5 Days Guizhou Miao & Dong Minority Tour

>> 6 Days Guizhou In-depth Ethnic Tour with Jiabang Rice Terraces

For another part of travelers would like to do an overall Guizhou trip for more sightseeing in the hot destinations, they usually put Kaili in the middle of the trip and cover Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun City for one day, Mount Fanjing in Tongren City for one or two days... Just tell us your likes and interests, China Discovery is here ready to help customize your own Guizhou tour with best prices! Contact Us now.

>> 6 Days Diverse Guizhou Tour (Guiyang - Fanjingshan - Kaili)