Guangzhou Travel Guide

Discover Guangzhou Self Guided Book is written by Janvi Tours, formerly Guangzhou Private Tour Guide Janvi or Guangzhou Tour Guide Janvi


Written by J. C.
Published August 2018

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Home Tour Options Pearl River Delta Tours Yao Minority Village Tour

2-day round trip to Yao Minority Village from Guangzhou

There is a traditional group of mountain-dwelling people who live in the northern part of Guangdong province called the Yao. Yao Minority is one of the oldest ethnic groups in China. The legend of the Yao ancestors is one of the ancient Jiu Li tribes in ancient China and later migrated to Hubei and Hunan provinces. The rising Qin kingdom gradually defeated its rival kingdoms and unified the whole of China under the Qin Empire, hence during the Qin and Han dynasties (306 B.C. ~ 26 A.D.), the ancestors of the Yao people were persecuted and forced to settle in Changsha, Wuling or Wuxi.

In the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581 ~ 907), the Yao people were mainly distributed in most of Hunan province today, northeastern of Guangxi province and mountainous areas in northern Guangdong province. As a Yao saying confess: “There would be no Yao without the mountains of South China (called Nanling)”, which was the cradle of their unique culture.

During the Yuan Dynasty (1271 ~ 1368), under the pressure of war, a large number of Yao population had to move south and straight into the heart of Guangdong and Guangxi province.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368 ~ 1644), Guangdong and Guangxi provinces became the main distribution area of the Yao nationality. After the middle Ming Dynasty, some Yao nationalities entered Guangxi, Yunnan, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, France, the United States, and Canada to become residents of other countries. Besides, there are a few Yao lives in Britain, Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, and other countries. Nowadays, the Yao nationality is about 3,5 million people and is an international nation.

Itinerary
The Yao Minority Village is built on a mountain at an altitude of over 800 meters, the houses are stacked, and the buildings are scattered, it has been more than a thousand years history. It's about 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Guangzhou city. Tour starts at 10 am from your downtown hotel in Guangzhou. Make a briefly visit Yao minority village, on the way we will stop at the observation deck and overlook the various peaks of different shapes.

Yao minority village

At the height of prosperity in the Ming and Qing dynasties, there were nearly 900 houses, more than 1,000 households and 5,000 people lived in this village. It is the oldest and the most historically preserved Yao village in Guangdong province. According to historical records, this village once lived in the family of“Chen, He, Qi, Li, Long, Pan, Shen, Zhu, Deng, Fang, Tang”, etc. and later with more people moved out than moved in, the Yao population began to decrease. There are 873 people live in this village with more than 300 houses today, and the surnames are Tang, Pan, and Fang in the majority of the Yao population in the village.

Yao minority village

The rows of houses in the Yao Village rise with the slope. Often, the roofs of the houses in the front rows are level with the floors of the houses in the back rows. The houses are connected by corridors and lanes, forming the typical architectural layout of Yao villages. The ancient houses represent the age-old life style of the Yao nationality.

Resident of Yao national minority

Sauntering through the finely-arranged Yao folk houses and zigzag paths, you will feel the simplicity of the Yao Village where the venerable lifestyle is continued. Antique and unique stilt-houses can be seen in the village. Bamboo pipes are hanging in the midair which resembles spider webs. They are the water pipes used by local people.

The next day, we will visit the Museum of Chinese Yao Nationality, travelers to the museum will have the chance to know the wedding and funeral customs of the natives.

Terraced fields near Guangzhou in Yao autonomous county

Then we will visit the original ecological rice terrace, the terraces are stacked along the mountains, as the seasons change, the terraces present different landscapes, spring glory films, autumn rice surge gold, is a good place for sightseeing, experiencing farm life and photography. After that we will have lunch in the farmer-run restaurant, and then back to Guangzhou. This tour is only available in fair weather. Please make inquiries before booking.

 

Tour Information
Starting time: 10 am;
Type of Tour: Private Tour -- Just for you and your travel mates;
Meeting point: Your hotel entryway;
Duration: 2 days;
Price

USD$450 for 1 person, each additional person USD$50; Maximum participant: 3 people;
INCLUDES: 
1. Air-conditioned car;
2. Accommodation (twin or triple room for your group);
3. Downtown hotel pick-up and drop off; 
4. Guide (Guide and Driver will be the same person);

 

Additional Costs
To keep your tour cost low, we have not included food in the tour price, they are usually very reasonable, so that you have more option according to your needs and budget. Please cover our expenditure in the tour (meals and drink). However, these will be minimal.

 

Booking Process
To complete your Guangzhou Private Tour booking, a 30%~50% deposit is required via Paypal or telegraphic transfer after we set the tour date and tour duration with you. We will send you a PayPal invoice, you will have the option to use your credit cards or deposit card to complete the payment process (even if you are not a PayPal account holder). Note: A 4.7%~5.79% Paypal transaction fees will be charged on the total amount of the transaction when deposit is made by Paypal. Once payment is made, the booking of your Private Yao Minority Village Tour is confirmed. The remaining balance is payable in cash only on tour day with us, you can pay in either U.S. Dollar or Chinese Yuan, whatever is convenient for you. We prefer U.S. Dollars without any damage and stain, otherwise please provide Chinese Yuan.