Tongren is known as the ‘Gateway of the Guizhou Eastern Area’, being up near the borders with Hunan and Chongqing provinces. It is one of the larger cities in eastern Guizhou and is home to a variety of ethnic groups.
Miao, Dong, and Tujia tribes reside in this region of eastern Guizhou and visitors can appreciate all sorts of weird and wonderful customs. Their villages feature traditional wooden houses and stone carvings and generally lie at altitude amid stunning scenery. Tongren has gorgeous scenery with karst topology.
Popular tourist attractions in the region are generally outside Tongren and include: the Nine Dragon Cave; Mount Fanjingshan National Reserve; and Dongshan Temple. The renowned China Nuo Opera is also worth coming to Tongren for culture vultures.
Travel to Tongren - getting there
Although Tongren is well connected by road, the best way in is to fly. There is a small airport in town - Tongren Daxing Airport – which receives flights from Guiyang, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. Buses take the G320 and S201 when coming from Guiyang, a 300-kilometer-plus journey.
Tongren attractions
Tongren villages: there are many traditional villages in the region, where Miao, Dong, and Tujia all live.
Side trips from Tongren
Nine Dragon Cave Scenic Area: one of the main attractions in the entire region, this cave is 17kms from town and is one of deep caverns, steep hills, and lush forests.
Events
Nuo Opera: performed throughout the year, this is one of the quirkier sides to Chinese opera, with performances such as the ‘Climbing the Blade’.
In brief
What to do: see local villages, visit the Nine Dragon Cave.
Best time to go: September and October see the least rainfall.
How long? A day or so to explore Tongren and surroundings.
Trivia: the ethnic minorities in the Tongren region make up over 50 per cent of the populace.