Approach to Guizhou Folkways

Your Guizhou group tour officially starts today. Our guide and driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and then transfer you to Jichang Old-Han Chinese village. A small welcome ceremony and lion dance is arranged by the locals to welcome your student group visit. Then witness the Dixi or ground opera performance, a very unique art form in Guizhou. It is performed by the locals to ward off evil spirits and calamities, characterized by exaggerated expression, unique design of figures, distinctive characters as well as colorful costumes. You may even have the chance to learn some simple performing skills from the locals. Next, take a hiking trip to Tianlong Old-Han Chinese village to explore its rural ancient stone architecture. The guide will teach you some simple Chinese conversations. You will also be informed of the dos and don'ts when visiting a local family in the village.

Today's lunch will be at a Tianlong village café, after which you will proceed to Anshun to visit a small batik museum and shop owned by one of the top 10 folk artists in China. Grab the chance to learn some simple batik skills. Then, we will make our way to a bustling night market of Anshun.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Puhua Hotel

Visit Kaili, the capital city of Guizhou's southeast autonomous prefecture of Miao & Dong people. Your first stop there is Qingman Miao village. A welcome ceremony awaits you, where beautiful Miao girls offer rice wine contained in ox horn. You may just take a sip as a good gesture. Bear in mind not to hold the horn for by doing so indicates that you are able to finish the drinks. After the brief ceremony, enter the village and visit the Miao's residences on stilts. With its rich ethnic and regional features, with the house raised above ground, it helps to keep the rooms dry and ventilated and keep away snakes and other wild animals. The first floor is usually used for raising poultry and keeping agriculture tools & heavy objects; the second floor as the living areas and the third floor as storehouse, due to its dryness, ventilation and favorable position.

Lunch will be in the village to taste the local food. After that, visit Shiqiao Village to see their traditional paper making from tree bark. The guide will give you a detailed explanation about its basic principles and processes. Return to Kali City.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Grand Metro Park Heaven-sent

Take a 1.5 hours bus ride to extend your Guizhou group tour to Maliao and then a four-hour hiking trip along a challenging zigzag mountainous path with gorgeous landscape views of terraced paddy fields. On the way, we will stop by Kaijue town, known as silversmith Miao village, and visit some local families. Then, enjoy a picnic lunch on the mountain top, before walking some distance to Xijiang, the largest Miao village in China with one thousand households. The same traditional rice wine welcome ceremony as in the Qingman Miao village the previous day awaits upon your arrival. After that, meet the family members whom you will stay with for the night. The rest of the day will be free for you to explore the village and the local culture on your own or have a good rest with the family. Please don't wonder off too far away without the guide or unaccompanied by a local. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Village Home-Stay

You will have a first-hand experience of farm-work such as field-plowing with the aid of a water buffalo, carp-fishing in paddy fields, or digging for potatoes in the mountain fields. You may choose any one or all of them. The guide and the locals will be around to direct and help. Please always keep safety in mind. Lunch today will be food cooked from the fish and potatoes harvested from your own hard labor.

In the afternoon, visit the Xijiang Middle School. Take the opportunity to communicate with the Miao ethnic students to learn about their education. The kind and diligent Miao people are innate singers and dancers, so you can also learn to sing traditional Miao songs and play their musical instrument called the Lusheng (bamboo reed pipe). At the same time, a basketball match will be played between your team and theirs. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Bid farewell to the hospitable Miao people after breakfast and head back to Guiyang via Kaili. En route, drop by Ms. Yang Jianhong's embroidery workshop to learn about the unique Miao embroidery. Take the opportunity to embroider your own piece. Miao embroidery plays an important role in the historical heritage of their culture. Almost every pattern has its own origin or legend, exhibiting the Miao people's history and life.

After that, your 7 days group tour to Guizhou ends here. We will transfer you back to Guiyang and take you to the airport directly to catch your flight to the next destination. Wish you a pleasant flight. If you want to visit other Chinese cities, please check our other China Student Tours or contact our travel consultant directly.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch