Home to a rich Dong ethnic culture, Liping county in Guizhou province is among the most characteristic, well preserved and outright enchanting rural areas of China.

Of the county's 22 ancient villages, Tang'an village is perhaps the most striking. The village's rice terraces are comparable to the famous Longji rice terraces in Guangxi, just without the official UNESCO World Heritage listing.

Tang'an also offers visitors the chance to see the spectacular roofed bridges of the Dong people, known as "wind and rain" bridges.

Traditional folk architecture is another main draw of the county, and Zhaoxing Dong village has it in bucket loads. As one of the oldest and largest Dong ethnic group villages in Guizhou, it is renowned for its drum tower. Astoundingly, no nails or rivets were used in the construction of the drum tower and the building relies on dovetail joints to hold it together.

With the hodgepodge of ethnic groups residing in the county, it is no surprise that more often than not, there is a festival going on somewhere. From the Bullfight Festival to the Flower Appreciation Festival, villagers make the most of every opportunity to keep their culture a living tradition through song, dance, food and rituals.

Dressed in fine embroidery, women of the Miao ethnic group perform songs with traditional instruments. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]