Introduction
The town of San Jiang, which literally means three rivers, is a part of the Xinhui District. San Jiang is a Dong Autonomous County that lies North of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China. There is one residential community and twelve villages located within San Jiang, with a total population of about 47,000 residents. The Miao people that live reside in the rural town of San Jiang have a rich culture and history that is continued to this day. Sunny days and hot weather are a constant throughout the summers, however winter can get as cold as -10˚C. The Drum Tower and the Chengyang Wind and Rain bridge are both spectacular sites for tourists visiting San Jiang, and the Chinese cuisine that is served is exquisite.
Miao People
WHO ARE THEY?
The Miao People are the ethnic group that live in the town of San Jiang in South China. They are one of the official 55 minority groups of China. Their stunning costumes worn by the women are what set them apart from other minority groups in China.
A RICH CULTURE AND TRADITION
The Miao People are the current residents of the small town of San Jiang in Southern China. Their rich culture shines through as they sing and dance their way through the cobbled streets in great festivities and gatherings. One of the special cultural traditions of the Miao People is their bright costumes. These costumes are made by the women of the village by spinning, weaving, cross stitching, brocading, wax printing, and sewing. The womens dresses are a combination of buttons gowns down the bottom and crossed gowns up the top. Stunning silver headpieces are worn by the Miao women at events such as New Year’s Eve. The men on the other hand wear either simple or plain, short or long gowns. All in all, the stunning costumes created by hand, by the women of the Miao minority group are both expensive and incredible. Made with such care and precision each one is a unique piece of art.
Traditional Food
The traditional food served in San Jiang are mainly just traditional Chinese food that is served all over China. Below are common breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods that are served in San Jiang. Foods that are eaten for dinner can also be eaten for lunch just the same as some breakfast foods can be eaten for lunch or dinner.
Breakfast:
– Soybean milk and deep fried dough sticks
豆浆油条 – Pronunciation: doh-jyang yoh-tyoww
Sweet tasting, these dough sticks are a common breakfast meal. The dough sticks are crunchy like western churros and the soy milk is like a sweet milk. They normally cost 4 yuan in a restaurant.
– Steamed buns
包子， 汤包， 馒头 – Pronunciation: baoww-dzrrr, Tung-baoww, man-toh
These buns can be sweet or salty. 包子 are buns served with a meat filling and normally cost 2 yuan each, 汤包 are buns that are served in soup there is usually 8 buns in the soup. This usually costs around 15 yuan. 馒头 are buns that have no stuffing, like the 包子they cost around 1-2 yuan.
– Wontons and dumplings
馄饨饺子 – Pronunciation: hwnn-twnn jyaoww-dzrr
Wontons and dumplings are almost the same things, they are both thin dough skin filled with meat and/or vegetables. They can be steamed or fried.
Lunch/Dinner:
– Sweet and sour pork
糖醋猪肉– Pronunciation: tarng-coo zhoo-row
Sweet and sour pork, like its name suggests, tastes both sweet and sour. It is usually served with a side of rice. Recent developments on the dish mean that you could substitute the pork for chicken or beef.
– Chow Mien
炒面 – Pronunciation: chow-mien
Chow Mien consists of fried noodles, vegetables, and a meat that is either chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp. A sauce that usually accompanies this is soy sauce.
– Spring Rolls
春卷 – Pronunciation: choon-juaan
Spring rolls are cylinder of thin dough that is either steamed or fried, with a filling of meat, vegetables, or both. They are very common as an entrée dish.
Tourist spots to Visit
Wind and Rain bridge
This bridge was built is 1916 and is 64.4 meters long, 3.4 metres wide, and 10.6 metres high. It was constructed with wood and stones, using no nails or rivets whatsoever. The picturesque view from the bridge is quite a sight to see. Residents and visitors alike come to this bridge to take in the scenery and the serene surroundings. Travellers may like to spend time here to watch the perfect pastoral life and experience the customs of the Dong people.
Drum Tower
The drum tower is the first tower of the Dong ethnic group. This wooden structure is a symbol of the San Jiang county. The elaborate structure of it, with its grey colour represents the minorities culture in both architectural field and intelligence. Furthermore, San Jiang drum tower is said to be the number 1 drum tower in the world. Similarly to the wind and rain bridge, it is made with no nail or rivets. Being a project of San Jiang’s 50 heart founding anniversary, the drum tower was completed in October of 2002 and signifies culture, appreciation, and tourism. It is a 27 floor building, being over 40 metres high. The site is used for holding cultural ceremonies, trade fairs, and festival activities.
Conclusion
San Jiang is a community filled with rich cultures and traditions brought on by their main residents, the Miao people. The cuisine in San Jiang reflects the everlasting traditions not only in San Jiang, but all over China. San Jiang also has a range of extraordinary buildings that stand more like works of art. These include those such as the Drum Tower and the Wind and Rain Bridge. Both standing without nails. All in all, San Jiang has a range of things for visitors to experience and explore on their journey through this unique village.