Dong Culture Experience in Chengyang

At the end of June, 2009, I got a chance to visit Chengyang, located in Sanjing County, which is a village with the typical Dong culture. It was a short trip, but gave me a special experience of culture.

Chengyang is around 147 kilometers to the west of north of Guilin. We took about a half and four hours to go there by van. When we arrived at the gate of Ma’an Village in Sanjiang, it was totally dark and 8:30 pm. The gate of Ma’an Village is famous and was known as The Wind & Rain Bridge which is a typical of Dong Culture.

The local people also call the bridge as Chengyang Bridge and Yongji Bridge. We were very tired after such a long journey. But, we were very exciting when an elegant Wind & Rain Bridge appeared in front of us. In the evening, the Bridge is shrouded by the golden lights. It was so beautiful at night. We can only see the golden bridge but darkness. All things are silent at night, while the Bridge is working for the whole village. It seems sacred and inviolable.

After a overlooking of the Chengyang Bridge, we went back to Bobby’s home to have dinner. Bobby is our friend and an excellent local tour guide. He told us when there are girl guests coming to the Dong people’s home, the village’s young men will go to the house to have dinner. This is the Dong custom for young people to have dates. Unfortunately, we arrived there too later so that no one knew we were there. Haha…

We got up very early to visit Wind & Rain Bridge and Chengyang Eight Village. We had a better view of Wind & Rain Bridge in the daytime. The bridge looks like 5 connected pavilions on the Linxi River. It is so beautiful and special that it is totally different form the modern art we are familiar with. It was built in 1916, and it has been standing there sheltered the passerby from wind and rain for nearly a century. It is a wooden structure bridge which is 64.4 meters long, 3.4 meters wide and 10.6 meters high. The most amazing thing is that no nail was used in the bridge. The local Dong people will give you a convincing answer if you go to visit the village.

At the bank of Linxi River, there are a lot of water wheels which are also made by wooden and are used to irrigate the farmland. I thought water car is a special view for all visitors, especially our foreign friends.

Dragon Boat Race in Sanjiang

After across the Bridge, we arrived at Ma’an Village, which is the biggest village in the 8 Dong villages in Chengyang area. We just explored five of them in this morning. Drum Tower is the symbolic architecture of Dong Culture. Every Dong village has a unique drum tower where the local people celebrate the holidays, have funs, or see the operas.

We were so hungry and had not too much time to visit all the special things in the villages. And then we went back to have breakfast. That day was very hot. And we had to get back to Guilin in the afternoon. So we did not explore other villages which I thought it was a pity. If I have another chance to Chengyang, I believe I will explore other special things of Dong Culture.