Chengyang Eight Villages 程阳八寨Chéngyáng Bāzhài

Why go to Chengyang Eight Villages

Eight Dong villages line the Linxi River north of Sanjiang, each with timber stilt houses, a drum tower, a stage and a covered 'wind and rain' bridge. The star is Yongji Bridge at the entrance, a long wooden span topped by pavilion roofs, and the quiet lanes beyond it give a real sense of everyday Dong life. The area became a 5A scenic area in 2024.

The story

Yongji Bridge was organised by the villagers themselves, who began it in 1912 to link neighbouring settlements and finished it in 1924; its beams are joined with mortise-and-tenon joints rather than relying on modern fixings. Floods have damaged it more than once and each time the community has rebuilt it. Dong villages are also known for the Kam Grand Choir, a many-voiced song sung without a conductor or instruments.

What to see at Chengyang Eight Villages

• Yongji Wind and Rain Bridge 程阳永济桥: A long timber bridge on stone piers with five pavilion roofs and a covered corridor. Villagers sit and chat on its benches, and it is a national heritage site.
• Ma'an Village 马安寨: The village next to the bridge, a tight cluster of wooden houses, a drum tower and stage, and the easiest first stop on foot.
• Pingzhai Drum Tower and Stage 平寨鼓楼: The village drum tower is the social heart of a Dong settlement. Visitor song-and-dance shows are staged at Pingzhai, where you can hear the multi-voice Kam choir tradition.
• Upstream villages and paddies 林溪河沿岸诸寨: Beyond the busier core, Yanzhai, Pingtan, Dongzhai and Dazhai each have their own bridge and drum tower, linked by paths through rice fields.

How to visit Chengyang Eight Villages

Enter at the scenic-area gate, where buses stop, and walk the 1.5 km or take a short ride to Yongji Bridge. Cross it into Ma'an, then wander on through Pingzhai and the upstream villages; the full loop takes about two to three hours on foot. With half a day you can see the bridge, Ma'an and Pingzhai; a full day allows the quieter upper villages and a song-and-dance show.

How to get to Chengyang Eight Villages

From Guilin, take the high-speed train to Sanjiang South (about 35 minutes), then a bus or taxi into Sanjiang county town. Buses to Linxi and Chengyang leave about every half hour from the Hexi (west-bank) bus station and take around half an hour; they stop at the scenic-area entrance.

Where to stay

Stay in a guesthouse in one of the villages by the bridge for quiet evenings after day-trippers leave, or base yourself in Sanjiang county town for more choice and easier trains.

What to eat

• Oil tea 打油茶: A hot, savoury tea poured over puffed rice, fried peanuts and herbs, eaten as a breakfast or a snack in Dong homes.
• Sour fish 酸鱼: River fish fermented in a sour marinade and then cooked; the tang is strong and not to everyone's taste.
• Glutinous rice 糯米饭: Sticky rice is the Dong staple, served plain, in five colours or pounded into fresh rice cakes.

Tips for visiting Chengyang Eight Villages

• Weekends and public holidays get crowded around the bridge and the first three villages; walking a little further up the valley quickly brings quiet.
• Buses from Guilin can drop you at the Hedong (east-bank) station; cross the river on foot to Hexi to catch the bus to Chengyang.
• Sunset and early morning are the best light, so an overnight stay in a village guesthouse is worth it; early autumn, when the paddies turn gold, is especially pretty.

Nearby

• Zhaoxing Dong Village 肇兴侗寨 50 km
  Five drum towers and covered bridges in one of China's largest Dong villages
• Longji Rice Terraces 龙脊梯田 50 km
  Rice paddies stacked up the mountains like the scales on a dragon's back

Also within 30 km: Mapang Drum Tower 马胖鼓楼 (under 10 km), Sanjiang Great Dong Village (County Town) 三江大侗寨 (10 km), Dong Tiangong Cultural Area 侗天宫 (10 km), Yueye Dong Village 月也侗寨 (10 km), Buyang Xianren Mountain Tea Hills 布央仙人山 (10 km), Matian Drum Tower 马田鼓楼 (20 km).

On the map

Open Chengyang Eight Villages on the illustrated map to see the terrain around it, what else is close, and to add it to a trip and plan the days.

Learn more

• Wikipedia