Onward to Miao King City!
Miao King City: The First Village of the Miao Frontier—China's Miao King City. With over 600 years of history, it lies 39 km from Fenghuang Ancient Town and 10 km from Tongren Fenghuang Airport. It is a key scenic area of Guizhou Province, one of its ten most charming attractions, and a village site supported by the National Tourism Administration.
This article is compiled from the original travel notes on the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com); it is a record of trips from earlier years. Time-sensitive information such as ticket prices, schedules, and accommodation prices is subject to the latest announcements from scenic areas and transportation authorities; the itinerary ideas and attraction introductions still have reference value.
Miao King City
The First Village of the Thousand-Mile Miao Territory -- China Miao King City
l Miao King City, with a history of more than 600 years, is 39 kilometers from Fenghuang Ancient Town and 10 kilometers from Tongren Fenghuang Airport. It is a key scenic area of Guizhou Province, one of the ten most charming scenic areas of Guizhou Province, one of the top ten outstanding tourism enterprises of Tongren Prefecture, and also a village scenic spot designated for support by the National Tourism Administration.
Miao King City - Ten-Thousand-Mu Tea Garden
2 Miao King City is 39 kilometers from Fenghuang Ancient Town. It integrates mountains, water, caves, springs, waterfalls, gorges, forests, ancient trees, tea gardens, primitive villages, military alleys, and Miao ethnic customs into one, making it a resort for tourism, vacation, leisure, and exploration, and it is known as "the First Village of the Thousand-Mile Miao Territory." It is a famous hometown of Miao songs, a hometown of Miao drums, a hometown of folk acrobatic skills, and a film and television shooting base. It is the only relatively well-preserved ancient castle in the southwestern Miao region that integrates politics, economy, culture, military affairs, and architecture.
Miao King City - Military Alleys
3 Miao King City was built in the early years of the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, and was originally the seat of the Dayi Miao Civilian Chieftain's Office. Through the management of dozens of generations of Miao kings, it became the "City of Kings" on the outer periphery of the Southern Great Wall of the eastern Miao. During the Xuande to Jiajing periods, Miao uprisings led by five generations of Miao kings -- Shi Geye, Long Dage, Wu Buer, Long Xibo, and Wu Heimiao -- broke out, and Miao King City became the main base of the uprising, prompting the Ming government to build the Southern Great Wall.
Miao King City - Jielong Square
4 Miao King City covers more than 4 square kilometers, with 11 city gates and 11 alleys, each alley sharing one main gate; within the alleys, each household has its own dragon gate and back door, and they are interconnected, allowing for step-by-step defense and layer-by-layer checks, much like a Bagua maze. The terrain there is steep and the scenery is beautiful. The row upon row of stilted houses and the "crooked doors and side paths" architecture not only possess war-defense capabilities but also reflect a relatively high level of architectural skill. It is a Miao ancient castle on the border of Hunan, Guizhou, and Chongqing that is still relatively well preserved and integrates politics, economy, culture, military affairs, and architecture. Experts believe that this city's design "can attack, can defend, and can retreat," making it an ancient castle with a considerable level of military fortification construction, and it has high ornamental, preservation, and tourism value. Its architectural structure and military alleys can recreate history from several hundred years ago.
Miao King City - Miao King Mansion
5 In the backward and ancient Miao King City, the descendants of the Red Miao King speak the Miao language, wear Miao clothing, and preserve complete Miao customs....
Miao King City - Miao Old Priest Blowing a Bull Horn
Miao King City - Miao Song Gathering
6 The small river running through the village of Miao King City, the peculiar and precipitous cliffs, the dense forests, the elegant Miao wind-and-rain bridges, as well as the Miao women washing clothes by the river, the playful children, and the songs of Miao people working in the fields give visitors a dreamlike artistic conception of "traveling within a painting" and the unity of heaven and humanity, allowing them to return to nature and to themselves in the landscape gallery of Miao King City.
Miao King City - Wind-and-Rain Bridge
Miao King City - Hand-in-Hand Dance of the Eighth Day of the Fourth Month
7 In Miao King City! Miao women in full dress covered with silver ornaments warmly sing welcoming songs, the gate-blocking ceremony offers mellow Miao King rice wine, the fragrant aroma of Miao home-style food fills the blue-tiled wooden houses, the old woman by the spinning wheel and the young girl weaving flower belts speak an unintelligible Miao language, the affectionate young women leave the soot of love on the faces of handsome young men, beneath the ancient trees the majestic Miao old priests dance in ecstatic worship of the gods, bare-chested young men perform powerful and unrestrained drum dances, and at the bonfire party there is unrestrained singing and laughter.... Miao King City is a fascinating place! Miao King City is an intoxicating place!!
Miao King City - Flowing Waterfall
8 The rich Miao ethnic customs of Miao King City: love songs, leaf songs, and toasting songs; mysterious and unpredictable acrobatic skills such as climbing a mountain of knives, walking on fire, fishing in boiling oil, threading a steel needle through the throat, immortal joining bamboo, and lifting rice with a steelyard rod; breathtaking aerial stunts, passionate four-sided flower drum dances, and peculiar marriage customs such as "painting flower cats," "pulling ears," and the eight-person spinning swing, and more. This is a magical land, a mysterious place; every alley, every gate, and every tree is a page of the profound history of the Miao people. Starting from here, you will understand Miao King City, and at the same time feel the simplicity, mystery, breadth, and depth of Miao culture....
Miao King City - Taiji Diagram
9 As a Miao historical and cultural preservation area, a rural tourism scenic spot, an ecological agriculture demonstration site, and a model of new rural construction, Miao King City has received the attention and support of the state. It has been praised by leaders at all levels.
10 Miao King City has been officially designated as the China Western Miao King City Film and Television Base, and six film and television works have been shot there:
"Warrior" "Border Town Men" "Rescuing Female Soldier Situ Hui"
"Tell Me You Love Me" "Wind and Rain Fanjing Mountain" "May I Ask Where the Heroes Are"
Still from "Border Town Men" - Miao King City Flowing Waterfall
Still from "Warrior" - Miao King City Phoenix Terrace
Shooting scene from "Rescuing Female Soldier Situ Hui" - Miao King City Suspension Bridge