Sanjiang's Small County Has a Yueye Dong Village, Home to a Bird's Nest Structure That Holds a World Record

Sanjiang County is a minority area under Liuzhou City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is the autonomous county with the largest Dong population in China. Multiple ethnic groups have lived here for generations, coexisting harmoniously, loving and relying on each other, and working diligently. It is precisely for this reason that there is a thriving scene. The Dong Village Bird's Nest is an iconic building with strong ethnic characteristics in Sanjiang County. Together with a number of ethnic minority buildings such as the Sanjiang Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge, it showcases the unique ethnic customs of the Dong village to people around the world. This bird's nest is actually the landmark building of the China Dong City scenic area built in Sanjiang, Guangxi. The gate of the Dong Village 'Bird's Nest' features two water buffaloes butting heads, reminiscent of a line from a popular opera in northern Guangxi: 'If the horn is not sharp, it won't cross the border; if the horse's tail is not long, it won't sweep the street.' On the eaves of the venue's surrounding roof, there are models of a thousand birds standing on the horns, resembling hundreds of birds returning to their nests, hence the nickname 'Dong Village Bird's Nest.' The appearance of the Dong Village Bird's Nest mimics the 'Bird's Nest' at the Beijing Olympic Center and looks very similar to a tulou. The Dong Village Bird's Nest uses a reinforced concrete structure as the base platform, with the main building being a large wooden structure. The venue is circular, 29 meters high, 88 meters in diameter, covering an area of more than 5,000 square meters, using nearly 2,000 cubic meters of wood. On the third floor, there are 66 exhibition halls showcasing Dong folk customs, with a Dong farmer painting hanging that is over 250 meters long and 2.7 meters high. The Shanghai World Guinness Headquarters awarded the 'Dong Village Bird's Nest' (China Dong City) in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Guangxi, the certificate of 'World Guinness Record—the largest venue with a main structure of wood featuring Dong ethnic characteristics.' In the 'Dong Village Bird's Nest' theater in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Guangxi, visitors can watch the Dong ethnic song and dance drama 'Zuomei Sanjiang' (Sitting with a Girl in Sanjiang). The performance incorporates Dong elements such as costumes, drum towers, wind and rain bridges, and stilted houses, and presents a beautiful Dong love story in a realistic setting, which is warmly received by the audience. When the brilliant lights gradually brighten, the Dong girls sing touching Dong grand songs, telling the ancient stories of the Dong people. After a majestic large-scale dance, the four plot chapters—'Walking Girl,' 'Playing with Girl,' 'Sitting with Girl,' and 'Joy at Dawn'—unfold slowly. The performance is presented through six chapters: Dong grand songs, calling girls, playing with girls, sitting with girls, slope festival, and Duoye reunion, with stage transformations of drum towers, bridges, and stilted houses. Using modern high-tech presentation techniques, it perfectly combines the traditional Dong culture with modern civilization. Sitting in the audience seats of China's first circular wooden structure giant bird's nest, visitors can appreciate the breathtaking Dong customs. 'Walking Girl' is the beginning of marriage: the young Dong men punt on bamboo rafts, carrying oil lamps, to seek true love in other villages or among different families in the same village. 'Playing with Girl' is both entertainment and a way of courtship: young men go to the homes of girls who are embroidering and weaving in groups, singing, chatting, or playing folk games, creating a lively scene. 'Sitting with Girl' is a further development based on 'Playing with Girl': when a young man and woman have mutual affection, they quietly leave the group to confess their love at the village edge or in the wild. 'Joy at Dawn' means the beautifully dressed bride bids farewell to her parents and companions as the sun rises, then takes the groom's hand to his home, followed by a lively wedding procession the next day. 'Zuomei Sanjiang' reflects the profound and extensive Dong culture and the great development and prosperity of Dong village culture. It vividly and comprehensively reproduces the cultural elements of Dong courtship, labor, song and dance, and folk customs in the 'walking and singing and sitting at night' activity and the original ecological Dong customs. It is a must-see cultural tourism highlight for visitors to Sanjiang.