Qingyuan Millennium Yao Village Ticket

Attractions Highlights

Qingyuan Millennium Yao Village, an authentic ancient ethnic minority village with a history of over 1,400 years, is built along the mountain slopes. The village preserves 398 ancient buildings, and the Yao culture boasts a long history and rich customs. The Yao people are skilled in singing and dancing. Their ‘Shuige Village Song Festival’, ‘Long Drum Dance’, and ‘Yao Wedding Customs’ have been successively listed as national intangible cultural heritage. Unique Yao wedding customs, Pai Yao folk songs, and Yao embroidery have all been included in the ‘Guangdong Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage’ list. Besides admiring the rustic dwellings, visitors can also enjoy the spectacular Yao‑style song and dance performances by A Gui Ge and Sha Yao Mei at the Yao Dance Square.

Millennium History & Architectural Wonders

Originally built in the Song Dynasty, this village boasts over 1,000 years of history and retains 368 ancient buildings from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It is the largest and best‑preserved Yao ancient village in China. The village features crisscrossing bluestone paths, multi‑storey stilted buildings, and a bamboo water supply system still in use, showcasing the wisdom of the Yao ancestors. Sites such as the main village gate, the Yao King’s House, and the Song Arena testify to the democratic traditions of the ‘Yao Elder System’ and ‘Customary Law’.

Immersive Yao Cultural Experience

As the birthplace of the world classic ‘Yao Dance Music’, the Yao Village gathers national intangible cultural heritage items such as ‘Shuige Village Song Festival’, ‘Long Drum Dance’, and ‘Yao Wedding Customs’. Visitors can witness the vigorous and agile movements of the Long Drum Dance, participate in the solemn ‘Crossing Nine Provinces’ migration ritual, or engage in antiphonal singing with the Yao people. The 2025 spring ploughing season also introduces activities like catching fish in the paddy fields and rice transplanting experiences, paired with the ‘Phoenix Flying’ light show, creating a dynamic collision between tradition and modernity.

A Taste of Yao Village

Must‑try is the Yao‑style bamboo tube rice, where fragrant glutinous rice is wrapped with preserved meat and wild mushrooms, baked over a wood fire to infuse it with bamboo aroma. The smoked preserved meat is made from local Yao mountain pigs, offering a rich, savoury taste. Also, enjoy special beverages like bitter herbal wine and oil tea, all complemented by the festive atmosphere of the long‑table feast, allowing you to savour the essence of Yao culinary culture.

A Journey Blending Nature and Culture

Watch the sunrise over the sea of clouds by the terraced fields in the early morning, take a leisurely stroll through the millennium‑old village to feel the timeless tranquillity in the afternoon, and dance the bamboo pole dance around a bonfire at night, experiencing the ‘day trip through the ancient village, night stay above the clouds’ charm of the Yao Village. Nearby attractions like the Wanshan Chaowang National Stone Desert Park and Youling Folk Yao Village offer a glimpse of the vast and pristine landscapes of the hundred‑mile Yao mountain range.

Location & Transport

Located among the peaks at an altitude of 808 metres in Liannan Yao Autonomous County, Qingyuan, Guangdong, the Millennium Yao Village is a hidden gem within the 3‑hour living circle of the Guangdong‑Hong Kong‑Macao Greater Bay Area. It takes only 3 hours to drive from Guangzhou directly via the Xuguang Expressway, or you can take a high‑speed train to Qingyuan Station and then transfer to a dedicated shuttle bus for convenient access.

Year‑Round Exciting Events

Panwang Festival (16th day of the 10th lunar month): Torch parades, sacrificial ceremonies, and bonfire revelry ignite the passion.

Spring Ploughing Season (April ‑ May): Spring ploughing rituals, farm experience, and colourful night tours burst with vitality.

Dance Showcase (June): Yao dances from six provinces gather, turning the terraced fields and ancient village into a natural stage.