Kaili & surrounding Miao villages
Situated 195km east of Guizhou's capital, Guiyang, Kaili is the gateway to literally thousands of minority ethnic villages. It is the capital of the Southeast Guizhou Miao & Dong Nationalities Autonomous Prefecture with over 65% population of minority groups. Its surrounding villages still retain their original culture and charm. They provide beautiful countryside of terraced hillsides and quaint towns and wooden villages. You will experience the everyday life of the locals and see their colourful costumes & embroidery and silverwares.

Shidong & Silverwares
Shidong is a small Miao village about 1.5 hours to the north-east of Kaili, situated on the banks of the Qingshui River. It is worth a visit year round for its inexpensive silverware and embroidery and for the town market, which is held every six days. However, it is best known for its role as the host of the the Sisters' Meal Festival, held on the 15th of the third lunar month.

Sisters’ Meal Festival
Once a local affair which provided opportunities for Miao men and women to meet and begin their courtship, this festival attracts thousands of natives who have gathered from many miles around, and has now become a major tourist attraction. It provides a dazzling display of local dress, and a lot of entertainment including clamor of drums, firecrackers, song and dance, bullfighting, horse racing, singing and dancing competitions and even beauty contests!

Zhenyuan Ancient Town & Wuyang River Scenic Area
A tranquil ancient town hidden in east Guizhou, surrounded by mountains and rivers.The thousand-year Miao People's village is famous for its beautiful landscape, historic sites and dense minority ethnic customs. It provides caves, palaces, pavilions, temples and rivers with their unique architecture, exquisite engravings and marvelous natural landscape.

Wuyang River flows 95km through the Miaoling Mountains from Huangping to Zhenyuan, and finally join into Yuanjiang in Hunan Province. Its scenic spots in Zhenyuan, Shibing and Huangping compose the National Wuyang Scenic Area. The most sightworthy and impressive scenery could be enjoyed in a cruise at Zhenyuan. Wuyang Three Gorges is the most beautiful section of the whole scenic area. Secluded caves, gurgling springs, rugged rocks, dangerous passes and spectacular waterfalls interspersed on the mountains of both banks along the three gorges endow the Wuyang River, along with the dangers of Yangtze River Three Gorges and the elegance of Li River in Guilin.

The Black Dragon Cave (Qinglong Cave)
Located on Zhonghe Mountain in the east of Zhenyuan, the Black Dragon Cave was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in the precipitous Zhonghe Mountain. It is the largest ancient architecture remnants of Guizhou, including single and multi-storied pavilions, temples, shrines, palaces etc. The architectural sculptures and adornments are simple and unsophisticated and yet elegant. The Confucianist, Taoist and Buddhist temples were put together, representing a combination of the 3 beliefs. Against the green backdrop, the Black Dragon Cave looks like a garden with a temple clinging to cliff.

Highlights

* Join thousands of native Miao people in spectacular jubilation, which carries on for several days
* Drive and walk along beautiful countryside of terraced hillsides and quaint towns and wooden villages.
* experience the everyday life of the local Miao & Dong People and see craftsmen make their colourful costumes & embroidery and silverwares.
* Explore ancient Town Zhenyuan

Itinerary

Day 1 Fly in Guiyang / Kaili
Fly to Guiyang in the morning. After Lunch we drive 2.5 hours through the beautiful countryside of terraced hillsides and quaint towns to reach Kaili, capital of Southeast Guizhou prefecture (qian dong nan); then head for a traditional paper making workshop in the suburb of Kaili; then drive back to Kaili for dinner (Sour Soup Fish hot pot) and stay in Kaili.

Day 2 Kaili / Shidong / Zhenyuan
After breakfast in the hotel, we drive 1.5-2 hours to little town Shidong, a small Miao village situated on the banks of the Qingshui River. We will see local craftsmen making silverwares. Then we catch up the opening ceremony of Sisters' Meal Festival. After lunch, we will head for Zhenyuan (1.5 hours’ drive), a tranquil ancient town hidden in east Guizhou, surrounded by mountains and rivers. Stay overnight in Zhenyuan.

Day 3 Zhenyuan / Shidong / Kaili
Visit Qinglong Cave (the Black Dragon Cave), which was built into the precipitous Zhonghe Mountain during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is  the largest ancient architecture remnants of Guizhou, including multi-storied pavilions, temples, shrines, palaces. Confucianist, Taoist and Buddhist temples were put together here represents a combination of the 3 beliefs.Drive back to Shidong to attend the Sisters' Meal Festival; return to Kaili in the evening and stay in Kaili.

Day 4 Kaili / Leishan
A short drive from Kaili along the Bala River brings us to the village of Langde - traditional wooden houses and waterwheels. The view along the road are limestone pinnacles set against terraced rice fields and picturesque villages Then we drive to Paika Village to see how the Lusheng (Bamboo pipes) - the Miao people's most important musical instrument - is made. We have Lunch in Leishan County and then head back to Guiyang (4 hours) in later afternoon and fly out.