Sanjiang Travel Guide

Chinese Name: 三江侗族自治县 (sān jiāng dòng zú zì zhì xiàn)
Population: 406,000
Area: 2,545 square kilometers (983 square miles)
Location: in the north of Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southwestern China
Administrative Division: 3 districts (Wanxiu, Dieshan, Changzhou); 3 counties (Mengshan, Cangwu, Tengxian); 1 county-level city (Cenxi)
Area Code: 0772
Zip Code: 545500
GDP (2018): CNY 5.992 billion (USD 0.906 billion)
Nationalities: Dong, Han, Miao, Yao, Zhuang

Located in the north of Liuzhou, Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County is named for the confluence of three rivers: Xunjiang, Rongjiang and Rongjiang. It is close to Longsheng Autonomous County of Guilin to the east, Guizhou Province to the east and north and Hunan Province to the north. Home to more than 200,000 Dong people, Sanjiang is full of the wooden buildings with typical Dong ethnic style. The main buildings are Drum Towers and Wind and Rain Bridges.The drum tower is a pagoda-shaped structure and does not need to be nailed and riveted. There is a long drum hanging on the top floor. It is generally more than ten meters (33 feet) high. The wind and rain bridge is usually composed of huge stone piers, wooden bridge body, and pavilions. The bridge body is actually a long corridor for passers-by to rest. Visitors can also watch Dong folk performances in local villages, as well as enjoy the beautiful countryside scenery. The national festivals mainly include the Bullfighting Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the Huapao Festival on the 3rd day of March in the lunar calendar and Tuwang Festival (local Valentine's Day) held on two or three days before the Grain Rain.

Residence of Dong People

 Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge

 Mapang Drum Tower

The Dong minority group, one of the 55 Chinese ethnic minorities, mostly live around the borderlands between Guizhou, Guangxi and Hunan Provinces. The numerous drum towers which are built in the center of the Dong villages are the keys to understand the culture of the Dong group. Usually, the drum tower-constructed of wood and built without nails-is the largest multi-story pagoda-like building in the village.

Of the approximately 160 drum towers which still exist in the region around Sanjiang County of Guangxi Province, the Mapang Drum Tower is the most famous. It is located in Mapang Village, 28 kilometers (over 17 miles) away from Sanjiang County. The original Mapang Drum Tower was constructed during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and over the years has been damaged by fire several times. It was rebuilt in 1943.

The Mapang Drum Tower, whose base is 169 square meters (about 0.04 acres), possesses all the typical architectural features of Dong drum towers. The tower has nine upturned eaves, and each eave is carved with flowers, grass, fish, birds, and characters.

Mapang Drum Tower, Sanjiang

As soon as you enter the Mapang Drum Tower, you will see four indoor pillars made of fir that extend all the way to the top floor. Surrounding the four pillars are a group of twelve mid-sized pillars symbolizing prosperity for the village during the twelve months of the year. Upstairs on the second floor, you will see the most important and precious object in the Drum Tower- a large skin drum that gives Drum Towers their name. The drum is used to summon the villagers if something urgent happens in the village.

Ordinarily, the tower is a place for the villagers to relax, hold ceremonies, greet guests, and do some recreation activities. But it is also used as a meeting room to discuss the important issues of the village. During festivals, the villagers will gather together in front of the Mapang Drum Tower, singing, dancing and performing on the lusheng, which is a reed pipe wind instrument used by the Miao, Yao, and Dong Nationalities.

Admission Fee:

CNY 10

 Sanjiang Climatic Features: subtropical humid monsoon climate; with enough sunshine of more than 1600 hours annually; mild; with long frost-free period of more than 300 days

 Average Temperature: annual average temperature of 17-19C

 Rainfall: plenty of rain, concentrated in summers; annual precipitation of 1493 mm

 Physical Features: surrounded by mountains with average elevation of 80 meters-100 meters

 Rivers: the Rongjiang River, Xunjiang River

 Local Highlights: the building of the Dong nationality, March the third Festival, Fireworks and Firecrackers Festival

Transport: Running high speed trains to/from Guiyang, Guilin, Nanning, Guangzhou and other cities, Sanjiang South Railway Station is the only railway station in the county.

See Guilin - Sanjiang Train, Guangzhou to Sanjiang Train