Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County 三江侗族自治县

Setting and landscape

The main river is the Rong River (融江), known upstream of Laobao (老堡) as the Duliu River (都柳江). The highest point is Baiyun Mountain (白云山), 1,448 metres, on the south-western border with Rongshui (融水). The county lies in the humid subtropical Nanling climate zone; the county government gives forest cover of 79.7% and an average annual temperature of 17 to 19°C.

History

In 1105, under the Northern Song, a Huaiyuan military prefecture (怀远军) was set up at Sankouzhai (三口寨) in Rongshui County (融水县), later becoming Huaiyuan County with its seat at today's Danzhou (丹洲). The county was re-established in 1380 and renamed Sanjiang in 1914 because Anhui already had a Huaiyuan County. A county-level Dong autonomous region was founded on 3 December 1952 and became the autonomous county in September 1955. Danzhou Ancient City (丹洲古城), the old county town begun in the Ming dynasty, keeps some of its old structures and is a Guangxi-protected site.

What to see

Chengyang Eight Villages (程阳八寨) in Linxi (林溪) was Liuzhou's first 5A scenic area. It has more than 2,000 stilt houses, 13 drum towers and 11 wind-and-rain bridges, among them the nationally protected Chengyang Yongji Bridge (程阳永济桥) and the Helong (合龙桥), Puxiu (普修桥) and Wanshou (万寿桥) bridges, plus a group of old waterwheels. Venues there include a Dong silver-ornament museum of about 3,000 pieces in the south area and the China Dong Painting Museum (中国侗画博物馆), with more than 500 works.

Batuan Bridge (岜团桥) in Dudong (独峒) and Mapang Drum Tower (马胖鼓楼) in Bajiang (八江) are also national protected sites. At Liangkou (良口), the Heli Sanwang Temple (和里三王宫) is a Dong temple that mixes Han and Dong building styles.

Food and local products

A Dong saying, "侗不离酸" (the Dong are never without sour food), refers to jar-pickled vegetables, pork, beef, duck, fish and goose. Oil tea (油茶), made with tea leaves, puffed rice, crisp soybeans, fried peanuts, spring onion and glutinous rice, is served to guests. Sanjiang tea, Sanjiang tea oil and Sanjiang rice-paddy carp are national geographical-indication products.

Getting oriented

The county town, Guyi (古宜), is 203 kilometres from Liuzhou and 167 kilometres from Guilin (桂林). The Guiyang–Guangzhou high-speed railway, the Jiaozuo–Liuzhou railway, the Xiamen–Chengdu expressway and national roads 209 and 321 meet at the county town, which is served by Sanjiang South station (三江南站).

Highlights

• Chengyang Eight Villages 程阳八寨: Liuzhou's first 5A scenic area, with more than 2,000 stilt houses, 13 drum towers and 11 wind-and-rain bridges.
• Chengyang Yongji Bridge 程阳永济桥: Wind-and-rain bridge in Linxi listed as a national key protected site.
• Danzhou Ancient City 丹洲古城: The old county town, begun in the Ming dynasty and protected by Guangxi.
• Mapang Drum Tower 马胖鼓楼: Drum tower in Bajiang listed as a national key protected site.
• Oil tea 油茶: Dong guest dish of tea leaves, puffed rice, soybeans, peanuts, spring onion and glutinous rice.