Du'an Yao Autonomous County 都安瑶族自治县

Setting and landscape

The county government ranks Du'an's underground river system first in China and second in Asia and counts more than 300 skylights. People's Daily's Guangxi channel calls the Disu underground river (地苏地下河) the first among the country's underground rivers.

The Chengjiang (澄江) rises from an underground-river outlet at Jiudun village (九顿村), flows south past the county town at Anyang (安阳) and joins the Hongshui River (红水河) after 44 km of open channel. The Hongshui forms the county's southern edge. The climate is subtropical monsoon, with wet springs, hot stormy summers and clear autumns that often bring drought.

History

Du'an county was created in 1915 by merging the Duyang (都阳) and Anding (安定) native chieftaincies, with its seat at today's Anyang. The Yao autonomous county was proclaimed on 15 December 1955. The county government counts Du'an as an important part of the Youjiang revolutionary base led by Deng Xiaoping and Wei Baqun (韦拔群).

The Milotuo, national intangible heritage since 2011, tells how the mother goddess Milotuo made the universe from wind and air. A first written version of about 14,000 lines, sung by eight singers, was collected from 1962 and published in 1988. Bunu Yao still gather to chant it at weddings and on the 29th day of the fifth lunar month.

What to see

The county's 4A scenic areas are Chengjiang National Wetland Park (澄江国家湿地公园), the Underground River National Geopark (地下河国家地质公园), Milotuo Culture Park (密洛陀文化公园) and Sandao Bay International Resort (三岛湾国际度假区) on the Hongshui. The county government describes the wetland park as the only one in China that combines river, urban and farmland wetland, and water-cabbage flowers (海菜花) bloom on the Chengjiang. The Jiudun skylight group (九顿天窗) is a well-known cave-diving site, and Du'an built China's first karst cave-diving base.

Food and local products

Du'an carries the titles of China's base for wild mountain-grape wine, home of bamboo, rattan and grass weaving, and home of Du'an goats. Edible-canna vermicelli (旱藕粉丝) and calligraphy paper are also sold as local products.

Getting oriented

The county government puts Du'an 120 km from both Nanning and Hechi. It borders Dahua Yao Autonomous County (大化瑶族自治县) to the west and Jinchengjiang (金城江) to the north, and faces Mashan (马山) across the Hongshui. The Lanhai Expressway and the Guiyang–Nanning high-speed railway cross the county, with stations at Du'an and Yong'an (永安).

Highlights

• Chengjiang National Wetland Park 澄江国家湿地公园: 4A park combining river, urban and farmland wetland, according to the county government.
• Disu underground river 地苏地下河: Called the first among China's underground rivers by People's Daily's Guangxi channel.
• Jiudun skylight group 九顿天窗: Karst skylights known as a cave-diving site.
• Milotuo Culture Park 密洛陀文化公园: 4A park named after the Bunu Yao creation goddess.
• Milotuo epic 密洛陀: Bunu Yao creation epic, national intangible heritage since 2011.