Sanjiang

Sanjiang, literally "the three rivers", the Rong River, Xun River and Miao River twist through the county, hence the name. Located in the north Guangxi, it is a region traditionally inhabited by the Dong people. Bordering Guizhou to the northwest and Hunan to the northeast, Sanjiang was approximately built in 1105 A.D. and became the Dong Autonomous County in 1955. It has an area of 2454 square kilometers and a population of 350,000. Sanjiang is known for its diverse minority culture. Besides the Dong people, ethnic groups such as Miao, Yao, Zhuang and Han also reside in this beautiful county.

Sanjiang's claim to fame is the Dong people. They live in the remote mountain regions and have the untouched civilization. Their architecture remains traditional: their houses are wooden and legged! Their wooden bridges, commonly known as "wind and rain bridges" are artistic and practical. They all with no nails! Their beautiful drum towers have different levels and play special roles; their customs, lifestyle, special festivals and costumes have intoxicated many ethnic fanciers...visit their villages, if you eat with the local families, you can taste the strange meats such as sour fish and pickled pork, you can sip locally brewed rice wine and oil tea. At night, you can enjoy folk song and dance performances by the locals...

Dong people are famous for their singing. Since the Dong minority didn't have a writing system of their own until 1958, their history and stories were all recorded and passed down through songs. The most popular form of song is the 'grand song' which contains various themes ranging from love stories to historical events to moral lessons. These are all performed by a chorus, and the formal performing places are the drum towers in the villages. Any visitor to the area should make sure they experience a "grand song" performance to fully appreciate the depth and beauty of the local Dong culture.