Suining County 绥宁县

Setting and landscape

The county government describes Suining as ringed by high mountains on the south, north and east, with a ridge running down the middle that splits the county in two. The western half drains with the Wu River towards the Yuan (沅江); the eastern half falls with the Liao River (蓼水), called the Wuyang River (武阳河) inside the county, towards the Zi (资江). The highest point, Niupotou (牛坡头), stands at 1,913 metres, and the lowest, on the riverbed at the mouth of Matang Creek (麻塘溪), at 205 metres.

The Wu River is the county's largest river, entering from Chengbu (城步) in the south-east and leaving for Huitong (会同) in the north-west, and passing the county seat at Changpu (长铺镇).

History and heritage

Old sites include Han-dynasty tombs and settlement remains at Lixiqiao (李熙桥), the old county town site at Zhaishi (寨市) and a battlefield of the War of Resistance against Japan at Ma'anshan (马鞍山) in Wuyang town (武阳镇). The Red Army passed through Suining four times in the 1930s, and sites linked to it include the command post of the Seventh Army and He Long's (贺龙) headquarters for the battle of Jigongpo (鸡公坡), now marked by a martyrs' cemetery and memorial hall.

The Shangbao (上堡) and Datuan (大团) Dong villages are on China's tentative list for World Heritage. Zhaishi old town is a national historic and cultural town, and the Dayuan (大园) Miao village a national historic and cultural village. The Miao April Eighth Girls' Festival (苗族四月八姑娘节) is on the national intangible-heritage list.

Food and local products

Rice is the staple, and people favour glutinous rice, chillies and pickled vegetables. Miao households pickle vegetables in jars and smoke fish and pork; the county government singles out black rice (黑饭), oil tea (油茶) and steamed pork in rice meal (米粉肉). Dong households prefer sour fish and sour pork. Wanhua tea (万花茶) is a Miao speciality in which strips of winter melon, pomelo peel and radish are carved into flowers, insects and fish and served to guests. Suining qingqianliu tea (绥宁青钱柳茶), made from the young leaves of the wheel wingnut tree, is a national geographical-indication product.

Getting oriented

The county government puts the county seat 140 km in a straight line south-west of central Shaoyang. National Highway G356 crosses the county, the Ningjing Expressway (宁靖高速) runs east to west across the south, and the G65 Baotou–Maoming Expressway has an exit at Le'anpu (乐安铺) in the south-west.

Highlights

• Shangbao Dong village 上堡侗寨: On China's tentative list for World Heritage, together with Datuan.
• Zhaishi old town 寨市古镇: Listed as a national historic and cultural town.
• Miao April Eighth Girls' Festival 苗族四月八姑娘节: On the national intangible-heritage list.
• Wanhua tea 万花茶: Carved winter melon, pomelo peel and radish, served to guests by Miao and Dong households.
• Suining qingqianliu tea 绥宁青钱柳茶: Tea from wheel wingnut leaves, a national geographical-indication product.