Tianlong Tunbao

When the Ming garrisoned Guizhou in the late fourteenth century, soldiers were settled with their families in fortified farming villages called tunpu, and their descendants around Anshun kept a distinct identity for six hundred years, separate from both the surrounding Han and the Miao and Bouyei neighbours. Tianlong is the best known: stone houses and lanes built defensively, women in long blue Ming-cut robes with distinctive headwear, and dixi, ground opera, performed in wooden masks in the open rather than on a stage, telling stories of loyal generals and military campaigns from Chinese history.

Background

Tianlong Tunbao, also spelled Tunpu, lies near Anshun in Guizhou and is home to the Tunbao, a Han group not officially recognised as a separate ethnicity, descended from soldiers of an expedition sent to Guizhou under the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty. Their traditional houses and customs survive, including performances of Dixi, ground opera. Next to the town stands the Tiantaishan Wulong Temple, once a stronghold of the Ming general Wu Sangui.

Source: Wikipedia, "Tianlong Tunbao"

The main sights

• The stone village - defensive lanes and houses from the garrison era.
• The Ming dress - long blue robes and headwear still worn by older women.
• Dixi ground opera - masked performances in the open, not on a stage.
• The village temples - halls serving the garrison descendants.

When to go

March to June and September to November for mild weather; opera performances run to a schedule for visitors and more fully at festivals. Weekends bring more visitors and more performances.

Before you go

Performances are scheduled for tourists and short. Entry is charged. The village is small and a visit takes a couple of hours. Interpretation is Chinese only.

Nearby

Anshun lies west; Guiyang is east.

Key facts