Why go
The Miao people are one of China's largest minorities, and Xijiang is their showpiece: over a thousand families in the traditional stilted 'diao jiao lou' houses, built into the slope so the floor above is the street behind. The view from across the valley, layered and geometric, is unforgettable.
The village is partly a living community and partly a stage for Miao culture — the daily performances, the silver festival costumes, and the long-table meals are genuine traditions performed for guests.
- The night view from the observation deck — the village's signature sight
- The long-table banquet and Miao song-and-dance performances
- Silver-smith workshops and batik dyeing demonstrations
- The morning mist over the rice terraces behind the village
Practical tips
The observation deck at the entrance road has the classic panorama — go at dusk for the lanterns, and again at dawn for the mist. Walk up into the upper terraces to escape the tour groups. The night market along the river serves Miao specialties like sour fish soup.
Nearby
The nearby towns of Zhenyuan and Kaili offer quieter minority culture. Guizhou's landscape — waterfalls, karst and terraces — rewards a week, but Xijiang works as a 2-day detour between Guilin and Guiyang.
Getting there
- High-speed rail to Kaili South, then a shuttle to Xijiang (~1h)
- Houses
- 1,000+ stilt houses
- People
- Miao (Hmu) minority
- Elevation
- ~850 m hillside
