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WHEN you crave fresh air, nature and ancient civilization, one of the great escapes is Liannan Yao Autonomous County and Lianzhou at the northern edge of Guangdong Province.
A six-hour drive from Shenzhen, the two places offer major scenic attractions and a centuries-old minority village from the Song Dynasty (960-1279).
A weekend trip gives visitors time to visit the well-preserved Yao Minority Village on top of an 800-meter mountain, along with boat trips through the Huangchuan Three Gorges and the Little Beijiang River and the Lianzhou Subterranean Stream with its stalactites.
The Yao Minority Village in Liannan Yao Autonomous County was built in the Song Dynasty and developed in the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911). At the height of its development, there were more than 7,000 people and 700 traditional Yao-style tile houses in the village. It is the largest and oldest Yao village on the Chinese mainland.
Yao Minority's Long Drum Dance |
Now less than 200 people and 368 houses remain in the village, as more and more Yao people leave for better living conditions.
Visitors can still find hundreds of centuries-old, well-preserved blue brick houses, stone bridges and blue brick paved alleys built in the Ming Dynasty. One of the engineering wonders is a stone water supply system and 126-meter-long, 6-meter-high ramparts protecting the little world. |
The Yao people in the village, originally from Hunan Province, still retain their distinctive dress. Men bind their hair with red cloth and insert pheasant feathers into their hair. They wear traditional garments without collars or buttons, and bind their waist with a strap of cloth. Women also bind their hair. They cover their heads with black cloth and wear silver necklaces and earrings. Their clothing is similar to the men's, including pants.
Visitors will be welcomed with rice wine, folk dances and 12-gun salute.
Admission: 20 yuan per person
Getting there: Take shuttle bus from Liannan Bus Terminal
● Lianzhou
Lianzhou offers both history and scenery. Its history can be traced back nearly 1,500 years when it was a county of the Sui Dynasty (581-618) and a hub of transportation and commodities trade. Buildings going back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) can still be visited, along with the city's eight scenic sites, poetic inspiration for dynastic literary giants at that time.
The local night market is a highlight of an overnight stay, located just several hundred meters from most hotels. Vendors sell local snacks and souvenirs at unbelievably low prices.
● Huangchuan Three Gorges and the Little Beijiang River
Huangchuan is an ancient name for the Lianjiang River. The river rises in Hongyan Mountain at the town of Xingzi. It flows through Lianzhou, Yangshan and Yingde before merging with the Beijiang River at the mouth of the Lianjiang River. From Hongyan Mountain to the mouth of the Lianjiang River, the crystal clear water flows swiftly over 180 kilometers.
The most impressive section of the river is the three Lianjiang River gorges: Longquan (Dragon Spring) Gorge, Lengjia Gorge and Yangtiao (Goat Jumping) Gorge, collectively known as Huangchuan Three Gorges.
The gorges are 25 kilometers in length, easier to access than the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River. The best way to sightsee along the river is with a one-hour boat tour with professional guide.
Boat fare: 25 yuan per person
Getting there: Longchuan factory pier, 3 kilometers from Lianzhou city center.
● Lianzhou Subterranean Stream
Over millions of years, the stream has carved out a 3-kilometer-long limestone subterranean cave with ravines and stalactites. Visitors can walk along the riverside deep into the cave, enjoying the wonders of nature. At the bottom of the cave, visitors can take a boat for more scenic wonders.
Admission: 50 yuan per person (including the boat fare)
Distance: 30 minutes' bus from Lianzhou.
Editor: Wing
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