Nestled in the valleys of Liping County, Qiandongnan, Guizhou, China, Zhaoxing Dong Village lies at the junction of Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi. As one of the largest natural Dong villages in China, it enjoys the reputation of "The No.1 Dong Village". Founded during the Northern Song Dynasty, the village boasts a thousand-year history. Spreading along the river valley against mountains and rivers, the whole settlement resembles a large ship anchored among rolling hills when viewed from afar. Its ancient village layout has been well-preserved to this day.

The most iconic landmarks of Zhaoxing are its five drum towers named after the virtues Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Wisdom and Integrity, which stand as the soul of the Dong village. Built entirely of Chinese fir with mortise-and-tenon joints without a single iron nail, these towers feature elegant multi-layered upturned eaves and exquisite craftsmanship. The five drum towers belong to five major clans in the village. They serve as public venues for clan meetings and gatherings, as well as hubs for recreation, folk singing and festivals, preserving the ancient social order and collective memories of the Dong people.

The village is dotted with stilted wooden houses covered in grey tiles. These stilt buildings cascade along the mountain slopes. The Zhaoxing River flows gently through the village, paired with five covered flower bridges, forming a unique landscape of human settlement integrated with mountains and waters. Bluestone paths wind among the wooden buildings. Houses built beside the river ensure good ventilation and moisture resistance, embodying the residential wisdom of the ancient Dong people adapting to mountainous terrain, filled with authentic everyday charm.

This place is a living heritage site of Dong intangible cultural heritage. The Grand Chorus of the Dong, a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage, has been passed down orally from generation to generation here. This polyphonic, unaccompanied choral work is hailed as the heavenly sound from mountain valleys. Besides, Dong opera, indigo batik, Dong embroidery and silver ornament craftsmanship can be found everywhere. Festivals are held frequently in the village. Traditional folk customs such as road-blocking songs and circle dances remain part of local people’s daily life.

Zhaoxing offers more than the ancient village itself. You can hike to Tang’an Dong Village and its terraced fields nearby. Layer upon layer of terraces stretch along the mountains, blending rice paddies, forests and hamlets together. This thousand-year-old Dong village balances original rural life with cultural tourism. In 2018, it served as one of the branch venues for the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, bringing the Dong culture hidden deep in the mountains of Qiandongnan to a wider audience.