Zhuang Culture Journey: 5 Days of Scenic Beauty and Living Heritage
$1589
The Zhuang people are the largest ethnic minority in China, with around 90% of the Zhuang population living in Guangxi. They sing their landscapes into songs and weave brocades with colorful threads. This journey will take you to explore the spiritual origins of Zhuang culture at the Buloto Ruins, and learn about intangible cultural heritage crafts such as the Tianqin art, Zhuang brocade weaving, and embroidered ball making. The journey culminates with a visit to the Heiyi (black-clothed) Zhuang tribe, known as a “living fossil”—a deep immersion into Zhuang culture and aesthetics.
Itinerary Summary
Explore the roots of Zhuang culture – the Buluotuo Ruins
Enjoy a performance by a Tianqin master (a traditional Zhuang stringed instrument), learn to play it, visit a Zhuang brocade workshop, join a bonfire party, and stay in a traditional stilted house guesthouse.
Visit Jiuzhou Ancient Town in Jingxi, known as the 'Hometown of Chinese Embroidered Balls,' to explore the town and try making Zhuang embroidered balls.
Visit the "living fossil" of Zhuang culture – Heiyi (black-clothed) Zhuang tribe.
Daily Itinerary
Welcome to Nanning! After gathering, we will head straight to Tianyang to visit the Ganzhuang Mountain Buluotuo Cultural Tourism Area. Legend has it that Buluotuo is the creator god of the Zhuang people, and solemn ceremonies are held in his honor on specific holidays. In 2006, Buluotuo was added to the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Here, our guide will explain the origins of Zhuang culture and lead us to explore this cultural treasure.
Chartered vehicle
4-star hotel
No meals included on this day.
Ganzhuang Mountain Buluotuo Cultural Tourism Area
- After visiting the Buluotuo Ruins, we will drive to our hotel in Baise City. (approximately 1 hour, 65kilometers).
Today, we will immerse ourselves in the intangible cultural heritage of the Zhuang people. We will visit Tianqin Zhuang Village, home to the Tianqin, an ancient plucked string instrument unique to the Zhuang people. We will enjoy a performance by a Tianqin master and try playing the instrument. Next, visit a Zhuang brocade workshop to discover the rich cultural meanings behind the brocade patterns. In the evening, we will join a bonfire party in the Zhuang village, experiencing the warmth and hospitality of the Zhuang people.
Chartered vehicle
Boutique Guesthouse
Dinner
1. Tianqin Zhuang Village
2. Tianqin Song Appreciation &Tianqin Learning Experience Class
3. Visit to the Zhuang Brocade Workshop
4. Zhuang Village Bonfire Party
- 1. Tonight, we will stay in a traditional stilted house guesthouse.
- 2. Today, we will drive to Tianqin Zhuang Village in Longzhou County, located on the China-Vietnam border (about 3 hours, 250 kilometers).
Today, we will visit Jiuzhou Ancient Town in Jingxi City, the 'Hometown of Chinese Embroidered Balls,' where every family crafts these unique balls. We will tour the ancient town with our guide, try on traditional Zhuang costumes, and learn the art of making Zhuang embroidered balls from local artisans. From sewing the petals to filling them with mugwort, we can feel the blessings and sentiments embodied in the embroidered balls.
Chartered vehicle
4-star Hotel
No meals included on this day.
1. Jiuzhou Ancient Town
2. Embroidered Ball Making Experience Class
3. Zhuang Ethnic Costume Try-on
4. Jiuzhou Old Street
- The Boshiwahe Rock Painting Scenic Area requires walking to enter. We recommend wearing non-slip shoes. The visit will take 1-2 hours. Please be prepared that there are no restrooms or trash cans.
Today we will visit the Heiyi (black-clothed) Zhuang Ancient Village, known as a living fossil of Zhuang culture. In this village, the ancient Zhuang cultural customs are still relatively well preserved, and people uniformly wear black clothing. Here we will learn about and experience the unique charm of the Black Zhuang culture.
Chartered vehicle
4-star hotel
No meals included on this day.
1. Heiyi Zhuang Ancient Village
2. Heiyi Zhuang Culture Exhibition Hall
3. Watching the "Ni De Ya" folk song performance
- 1. This morning, we will travel to Heiyi Zhuang Ancient Village in Napo County (approximately 2 hours, 110 km).
- 2. After today's itinerary, we will return to Nanning (approximately 6 hours, 340 km).
Today marks the end of our trip. We can visit the Guangxi Nationalities Museum, or relax and head back directly. Thank you for traveling with us in Guangxi!
Chartered vehicle
No meals included on this day.
- 1. The museum is closed on Mondays. Please contact customer service to confirm travel dates before booking this tour.
- 2. We offer daytime airport transfer service.
Important notes
1. A single supplement is bookable for this trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
2. Please send a scanned copy of the personal information page of your passport to your booking agent at least 15 days before departure, so that we can purchase your train tickets and make reservations for attractions..
3. Travelling in China will heavily rely upon using local payment apps – Wechat and Alipay for making payments. It’s essential to install them on your phone and have a data package ready prior to your travel. You shouldn’t rely on credit card for travel in China.
4. While travelling in China, you won’t have access to social media and some websites. You may consider installing a VPN to access those sites and apps.
5. Please note that there are some prohibited items for trains and flights in China.