Dehang Miao Village

Dehang sits in a bowl of karst cliffs and pinnacles in western Hunan, a Miao village of stone and timber houses at the meeting of streams, surrounded by canyons that hold some of the tallest waterfalls in the region, including Liusha, which drops over two hundred metres in a thin ribbon that the wind blows sideways. Walking routes follow the canyons to the falls and up to viewpoints over the village. The Miao here keep the drum dance, performed on a large hide drum with a distinctive stepping rhythm, and the silver headdresses and embroidered dress worn at festivals, and performances are staged for visitors alongside genuine festival occasions.

What you actually see

• The karst bowl - cliffs and pinnacles enclosing the village.
• Liusha waterfall - a ribbon fall of over two hundred metres.
• The Miao drum dance - the local dance performed on a large hide drum.
• The canyon walks - routes to the falls and viewpoints.

When to go

April to June and September to November; waterfalls are strongest after rain in spring and early summer. Miao festival days bring genuine celebration rather than staged performance. Summer is hot and humid.

Honest expectations

Performances for visitors are staged and repetitive. The village is ticketed and partly commercialised. Waterfall flow varies greatly, and the thinner falls disappear in dry weather. Paths are steep in places.

Nearby

Jishou lies southeast; Aizhai Bridge crosses the canyon nearby.