To travel to grounds Dong

Dong, like the rest of the peoples who speak languages of the family Dong-Dai, (also called Kam-Dai), usually lives in the low grounds, close to rivers or watercourses, where they devote themselves to the cultivation of the rice of irrigation.

Considering the wide extension of the territory that there occupy almost 3 million persons who identify like Dong, who occupies a stripe to the east of the Guizhou province, spreading to the nearby provinces of Hunan and Guangxi, the first quandary that the traveler has is to decide to which area speaks.

We have already mentioned in the introduction to this people that the experts differentiate two types of Dong, with language and different customs: Dong of the north and Dong of the South. It is thought that the existing differences between these peoples are only the due ones to have received more (those of the north) or less (those of the south) influence of the Chinese culture. The most advisable thing therefore, it would be to go to know Dong of the south.

In fact, it is between Dong of the south where there can still be the cultural monuments typical of Dong: The towers of the drum, the bridges of the wind and the rain, as well as the temples and activities in honor of the goddess Sha.

These characteristics are supported between Dong of the districts of Rongjiang, Congjiang, Liping (in the Guizhou province) and Shuangjiang (Autonomous Region of Guangxi). The scarce development of the transport deprived in China is compensated by the plenty of public services, given the capitals of these three districts (except Liping) is in the highway that Kaili communicates with Guilin, it can come to them from both cities. More easily from Kaili to those of the province of Guizhou, and from Guilin to Shuangjiang.

To come to Kaili it is necessary to go first to Guiyang, capital of Guizhou. Guiyang has daily flights with all the important cities of China, as well as with Hong Kong. From Guiyang to Kaili buses depart every 15 minutes, they circulate along a new freeway, and only they are late in realizing the trip two hours and a half. From Kaili there are numerous buses every day up to Rongjiang, Congjiang and Liping.

To come to Guilin there are flights from any Chinese city and from several capitals of the nearby countries. From there there are several daily buses to Shuangjiang.

As soon as the grounds were reached Dong, there can be known the places considered to be the most famous, as there can be the following ones:

- The village Wanzhai, famous by the love to the music of his inhabitants. To come to her it will be necessary to take from Rongjiang the bus to Zhaihao, and there to look for a motorbike, tricycle, or gait up to Wanzhai.

- Zhaoxing is one of the biggest villages of Dong. It is famous because in his origin it was inhabited by five clans, and it has therefore five towers of the drum and five bridges of the rain and the wind. It goes over in bus from Liping.

- Diping is famous for a wooden bridge of more than hundred years, with three towers and more than 70 meters long. Constructed without any nail, the pride of the traditional architecture is Dong. It goes over in bus from Liping.

- Gaozeng is famous for his three towers of the drum. The biggest of them reaches 30 meters high. The three have been constructed and only one was not used I fix. It goes over in bus from Congjiang.

- Xiaohuang. Not very far of Gaozeng, it is possible to come walking although also there are buses, Dong is different of these villages famous for the zeal with which there survive the traditional rhythms and the plenty of groups of singing.

Of course the best epoch to visit these places will be when there is celebrated some of the traditional holidays, like the New Year, or the holiday of third of March, always according to the lunar calendar.

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