Basha Miao Village–the last remaining hunter-gatherer tribe with guns in China
Last Update: 5th October 2020
What is Basha Miao Village?
Located around 30 minutes drive from Congjiang Train Station, Basha Miao Ethnic Minority Village is home to the last tribe which is authorized to carry guns in China. The village lies at the foot of Moon Hill 6 kilometers east of Congjiang.
The villagers have lived a similar lifestyle to that before. They use a sickle to cut hair and carry a gun on the waist. They wear the unique costume made by themselves.
Basha Miao Village Fast Facts
- Chinese Name: Basha Miaozhai (岜沙苗寨)
- Area: 15 x square kilometers
- Things to do there: Photography, Ethnic Minority Culture
- Who visits: Photographers, Adventure Enthusiasts, Chinese Culture and History Lovers
- Time required: 1 – 2 x hours
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including Basha Miao Village, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.
What to expect at the Basha Miao Village
The male villagers at Basha Miao Ethnic Minority pay much attention to the hairstyle. At the age of 15, they will have their hair cut. Much of the hair is cut except the middle part on the head. When the middle hair grows, it will be tied. Once the hair in the other parts grows, it will be cut again. When a baby is born, the parents will plant a tree in somewhere. If he is ill, the parents will take him to the tree to worship for the good conditions.
The tree is called “Life Tree”. When one villager passes away, the tree will be cut down and made into a coffin for the villager. Visitors will see the ceremony of worshiping the Sacred Tree at the village.
The houses with high feet at the village are made of wooden like those at Dong villages. At the gate of the village, the male villagers will fire the gun to greet the guests. After 30 minutes of the ceremony of greeting guests, you can enjoy the local folklore performance at Gusheng Hall which is situated on another hill. You will appreciate Lusheng Dancing and singing, bride-kidnapping ceremony, and local wedding. In addition, you can also see one male villager use a sickle to cut the hair of another male villager. Through the performance, you will get acquainted with the local customs.
Walk through the village, and you will find the female villagers do their daily work in front of the houses. If interested to know more about the local customs, you could explore the village on the lunar 1st of December – the traditional New Year for Miao people.
The best time to visit Basha Miao Ethnic Minority Village is in the morning.
The best hours to visit are from April to October.
There is no direct bus from Congjiang to Basha Miao Ethnic Minority Village. The only option is to rent a vehicle.
- Opening hours: 08:00 – 18:00
- As at 5th October 2020, the entrance ticket for the village (including the entrance to the village and the entrance to the performance) is 80 CNY per person; the entrance pricing to the shuttle bus is 20 CNY per person; children under 1.2m tall (1.2m tall not included) are free of charge. For the latest pricing information, please contact us via email (info@wendyweitours.com)
- If you don’t want to take the shuttle bus, it always takes 1 hour hike to the gate of the village from the foot of the mountain.
- If you would like to take pictures of the male villagers, some of them will charge you extra cost for it while some won’t. Therefore, please ask them about it before taking photos.
- The performance is on at 09:00, 11:00 and 15:00 in one day.
Wendy Wei Tours offers a variety of different packaged tours as well as custom tours including Basha Miao Village, among other attractions and destinations. To find out more, please visit our Tours page or Contact Us directly to find out more.