Day 9: Oct 16  

Morning: Basha Miao Village | The last tribe of gunners

Lying on the southern border Guizhou, Basha village is famed for being China 's last tribe of gunners. This primitive miao village is hidden away in a forest and filled with stilted wooden houses by the river. 

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Basha village is home to over 1,000 residents living in more than 400 households. Their ancestors were frontline troops who charged through forests and fought the bears there -- all to guard the land where they lived. Through hundreds of years, they have been guarding their homeland. Still today the men in Basha preserve their musketeer heritage, which makes Basha the only tribe that can legally carry guns in China. A strong sense of precaution inherited from their ancestors keeps this village isolated from the outside world. The villagers lead a self-sufficient life in the hilly areas and retain the dressing and living customs hundreds of years ago. 

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The villagers in Basha worship trees, especially maples, as gods. They believe the buns on their heads represent trees, while the purple clothes they wear represent bark. (The color is a special bluish purple. Biasha people usually add egg whites into the indigo when dying the coarse cloth, making it shiny and waterproof.) In Basha, a tree is planted whenever a baby is born. Often it will be cut down to make the coffin when the person eventually dies. Cutting down ancient trees is forbidden in the village. 

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Basha men are also famous for their unique hairstyles. Like the men in the Qing dynasty, Basha men wear their long hair in braids. They attach great importance to their hair bun, which they believe is a symbol of masculinity, as well as an emblem of power. This is a hairstyle that 's existed for thousands of years. 

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Young boys have to take part in a shaving ceremony between the ages of seven and fifteen. The tribe leader wets a sickle with the water used to boil eggs, and shaves off all of the boy's hair except for the central part, which is coiled into a bun. The blade caresses the scalp, and patches of hair fall to the ground. This shave is done without any shaving cream, or even a rinse. Boys get their first haircuts as a rite of passage, and then are given a hunting rifle at the age of 15 as a sign that they've become adults.

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Afternoon: Kala Village | The village of Birdcages

The village of Miao ethnic group is famous in the province for its skill at making exquisite bird cages, which are sold worldwide.  Roughly 125 of all the 151 households with excellent birdcage-weaving skills, work in the weaving business, with a yearly output of 100,000 birdcages.

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Overnight in the town of Wanda.

Day 10: Oct 17   

Morning: Traditional paper-making in Shiqiao Miao Village

Shiqiao Miao Village with about 100 households inhabited in a mountain valley still keep the tradition of hand-made paper. Along with the modern technology, changing demand of consumers, there are only about 40 families with a population of less than 100 people left in the village who maintain making paper through the ancient traditional approach. Shiqiao Miao Village’s hand-made paper is renowned for its outstanding flexibility, splendid color, as well we unmatched absorbency which make it a precious treasure valued by painters and calligraphers in China. Shiqiao paper can be classified into two categories: white paper and colorful paper. Raw materials used in making Shiqiao paper are barks from an indigenous tree named Goupima (mulberry) and making process is much delicate with over ten procedures which is eco-friendly. With the increasing awareness of protecting culture, the Shiqiao Miao Village’s paper has been inscribed on the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

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Afternoon: The Gejia Village of Matang

The Gejia is an ethnic group in guizhou, officially classified as a part of the Miao, but have separate status. The village of Matang is exclusively inhabited by these people. There are over 400 inhabitants in this village. The total Gejia population is approximately 50,000.

Gejia, according to legend, are the direct descendants of Houyi, a legendary hero who was said to shoot the nine scorching suns in order to salvage his people. They are noted for their war-like nature. Their costumes are indications of such warfare passion. The women are specialised in embroideries and batik. Their handicraft style dates back to the Qin dynasty (221–207 BCE), the first dynasty of a unified China.

The dress code of the women has a cultural symbol, particularly signifying the warfare of their ancestors. The head dress is a representation of the Sun and the arrow. Their shoulders and back are covered with thick wools like shawls that represent shield. They cover their legs with leggings as leg guards. The clothes are made in white and red patterns, and decorated with silver ornaments.

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Overnight in the city of Kaili

Day 11:  Oct 18  The ancient city of Zhenyuan

Located on eastern part of Guizhou Province, Zhenyuan has long been an ancient town of the Miao people. Its long history endows the town with many rich and generous cultural relics. The town covers only an area of 3.1 square kilometers (about 1.2 square miles) but greets you with more than 160 scenic spots including caves, palaces, pavilions, temples and rivers with their unique architecture, exquisite engravings and marvelous natural landscape. Among them are the famous Wuyang River Scenic Area and elegant ancient complex in the the Black Dragon Cave (Qinglong Cave) - beckoning sights not to be missed by any visitor to eastern Guizhou. The wonderful evening city lights and reflections are also our perfect photograpy subject.

Overnight at the cIty of Zhenyuan, Guizhou province.

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