Guangxi Travel Notes: Sanjiang China Yueye Dong Village
On October 19, 2024, after a buffet breakfast at the hotel, we took bus No. 18 at 9 a.m. to Yongzhou Railway Station, where we boarded the K381 train at 10:05 a.m. bound for Guilin. We arrived at Guilin North Station at 11:42 a.m., stored our luggage at the Home Inn where we had booked a room for the next day, then returned to Guilin North Station. We took the D1798 high-speed train at 3:10 p.m. to Sanjiang, arriving at Sanjiang South Station at 3:46 p.m. From there, we took bus No. 4 and got off at the Plaza Bird's Nest stop. With some time to spare, we strolled around Duoye Plaza.
Duoye Plaza features Sanjiang's iconic Drum Tower. Built in November 2002 by a team of local Dong folk artisans led by the renowned craftsman Yang Siyu, the tower integrates culture, sightseeing, and tourism. The Sanjiang Drum Tower stands 42.6 meters tall, with 60 pillars touching the ground, covering an area of 600 square meters. It has 27 tiers of tiled eaves; except for the top two, the remaining 25 are evenly spaced and gradually narrowed, giving the tower a pyramid shape that appears dignified and stable. The upturned eaves at each level, the intricate carvings, and the brightly painted eaves boards contrast vividly with the massive, rugged body of the tower. Inside, four Chinese fir pillars, each over 70 cm in diameter and over a century old, are unique in the history of drum tower construction. From the observation platform on top, you can take in the entire panorama of Sanjiang. Drum towers are the symbol and soul of Dong villages. The Sanjiang Drum Tower is the foremost drum tower in Dong areas, known as the 'World's Number One Drum Tower,' and is part of the China Sanjiang Grand Dong Village Scenic Area, a national 4A scenic spot that also includes the Sanjiang Wind and Rain Bridge, China Dong City, Sanjiang Qishi City, Fulu Temple, and more. We entered the drum tower to admire its structure, which is indeed a marvel of superb craftsmanship.
After leaving the drum tower, we headed to Yueye Dong Village, located across from Duoye Plaza. Yueye Dong Village is at No. 23 Dongxiang Avenue, Sanjiang County, Liuzhou City. Covering an area of 80 mu (about 5.3 hectares) with a total investment of around 300 million yuan, it is open all day. The village combines dining, accommodation, shopping, entertainment, leisure, and wellness. Its lanes have names like Duoxie, Feisuo, Niuwang, Linghe, Jintang, and Yan'e, and main activity areas include the Cattle Worship Square, Moon Square, and Yueye Drum Tower. There are also experience zones such as the Sanjiang Dong Village Bird's Nest for the 'Zuomei' performance, the Sanjiang Banquet Hall for 'Zuoke,' and the Sanjiang Bullfighting Arena. 'Yueye' is an important intangible cultural heritage of the Dong people, referring to group visits and socializing among villages. The Dong village, with 'Yueye' as its cultural theme, features meticulously designed iconic Dong structures like the Bird's Nest, Yueye Drum Tower, stilted house clusters, bullfighting arena, and banquet hall. Cultural activities include 'Zuomei Sanjiang,' China's first large-scale live performance of Dong folk customs; 'Zuoke Sanjiang,' a hundred-family banquet; and 'Niuzhan Sanjiang,' the Bull King Tournament. On August 16, 2022, Yueye Dong Village was listed in the second batch of national nighttime cultural and tourism consumption clusters.
Bullfighting in Yueye Dong Village is one of China's intangible cultural heritage traditions, renowned nationwide. Dong bullfighting has a long history with deep cultural roots, going back hundreds of years. In the past, fighting bulls were kept in 'bull palaces,' cared for by clans or designated individuals. Couplets like 'Out of this benevolent village comes a great clashing king; this place breeds dignified and brave generals' and a horizontal scroll reading 'Ever Victorious' were pasted on the bull pens, showing the Dong people's passion for bullfighting. The bulls belonged to the clan, and the fights represented the clan's strength. Nowadays, clan bullfighting has shifted to individual household fights. In Dong villages, bullfighting symbolizes a good harvest and hope, and the atmosphere is especially vibrant. Every year after the autumn harvest, over a hundred sturdy, reddish, and imposing bulls gather. They fight in pairs, one after another, in continuous thrilling bouts. When each match begins, the owners release the ropes, and the two towering, fierce bulls charge at each other. Their sharp, hard horns lock in fierce combat, sometimes pressing with force, sometimes prying and hooking. As the bulls fight, the crowd cheers; colorful flags wave, drums and gongs resound, and screams fill the air. The packed arena becomes a world of joy. Unfortunately, we were there at the wrong time—no bullfighting was scheduled that day. We could only imagine the intense scenes from outside the arena.
Around 6 p.m., we headed to our hotel, City Comfort Inn, not far from Duoye Plaza, and grabbed dinner on the way. After dinner, my wife wanted to see the night view of the Dong village. Although it wasn't far from the hotel, I was feeling tired, so I went back to rest and let her go enjoy the night scenery alone.
