Drum tower in Dong village near Congjiang in Guizhou province southern China 1993

Drum tower in Dong village near Congjiang in Guizhou province southern China 1993.

Dong village by the river in Guizhou 1993

A small Dong village by the river with a drum tower in Guizhou near Congjiang in 1993.

Congjiang river scene, Guizhou 1993

This was the river scene in Congjiang, Guizhou Province in 1993.

Wind and rain bridge near Congjiang, Guizhou 1993

Another picture of the Dong minority wind and rain bridge near Congjiang in Guizhou Province in 1993. Beautiful!

A Dong village by the river between Fulu and Congjiang, 1993

This is a picture of a Dong village taken from the boat between Fulu and Congjiang in 1993. I believe the village had no road access and was rather isolated in the border region between Fulu in Guangxi Province and Congjiang in Guizhou Province. Often the most interesting places to visit are in border regions the furthest from the seat of government where the influence of the capital city is least.

River transportation from Fulu to Congjiang

This is the boat that carried people up the river from Fulu to Congjiang across the provincial border from Guangxi to Guizhou.

Dong woman in Congjiang, Guizhou 1993

Here is a Dong woman in Congjiang, Guizhou in southern China in 1993. She is demonstrating a great way to carry your shopping home if you haven't got a car. The Dong lifestyle was very efficient in terms of use of resources with very little wastage. Their villages were neat and tidy with no sign of rubbish tips of discarded electrical goods. They appeared to be fit and healthy and to have enough to eat. Somebody once described China's ethnic minorities as "pure" and I think that is a good word to describe the Dong. The book about them that I have is called "The Dong - A hidden civilization" and now I can understand what it means. I wish we could all live more like them.

Dong woman drying cloth in village near Congjiang, Guzhou, China 1993

This is the cloth the Dong people make their clothes from. This photo was taken in 1993 in a village near Congjiang in Guizhou Province southern China in 1993.

Detail on Dong drum tower in village near Congjiang, Guizhou 1993

This photo shows a detail on a Dong drum tower in a village near Congjiang in Guizhou Province in southern China. The photo was taken in Autumn 1993. We could certainly learn a lot from the Dong people's non-materialistic style of living, at least at that time. I wonder if they've all got computers, cars and mobile phones now or do they still live the same way they did before.

Dong drumtower in village near Congjiang, Guizhou, China 1993

Here is a beautiful Dong minority drum tower in a village near Congjiang in Guizhou Province, China. The drumtowers are used for village meetings and activities like a kind of civic centre which says a lot about the Dong people. We met some children in one and they played with my camera. One of the boys was also playing with a stick and hoop toy which he was having great fun with. We could learn a lot from these people!

Monkey carvings on Dong drum tower near Congjiang, Guizhou, China 1993

This photo shows the carving of the three wise monkeys on a drum tower in a Dong village near Congjiang in Guizhou Province, China.

Wind and rain bridge near Congjiang, Guizhou 1993

Here is a photo of a wind and rain bridge designed and built by members of the Dong minority near Congjiang in Guizhou Province, China in 1993.

Dong people doing their washing in the river

Here are some Dong minority people doing their washing in the river in their village near Congjiang in Guizhou Province, China, in 1993.

Dong man in Congjiang, Guizhou 1993

This happy Dong minority man was selling his wares at the market in Congjiang, Guizhou, 1993.

Dong village near Congjiang, Guizhou 1993

This is a Dong village near Congjiang, Guizhou, China in 1993. Not a concrete building in sight!

Here is a nearby waterwheel.

Zhijin, Guizhou - Miao women

After visiting the Zhijin cave which was spectacular we saw these people walking along the street. They said they were from the Niao nationality. We got a lift in a car back to the nearest town where we caught a bus back to Anshun.

Congjiang in Guizhou

This is Congjiang in Guizhou Province where the Dong minority people came to the market. The river was used for transport as there was no road beside the river.

In the background you can see some of the old traditional wooden houses that the Dong people live in. I think there was a ferry across the river to get to that part of the village but I'm sure by now there will be a bridge.