Sanjiang Guide

Sanjiang County is known for being rich in its mineral resources. It is one of the five Dong minority autonomous counties in China. Sanjiang has the largest population of the Dong people. The city has several mines that are able to produce barium, gold, copper, manganese, quartz, serpentine, lead and others. There is also a great potential for further mining in this area. In 1992, the country also started to produce bamboo chopsticks and other products that are now being sold throughout China and other Asian countries. The region also is known for sasanqua, a plant that produces tea oil. The production value of this can reach up to 10 million yuan a year. The county hopes to expand production in both of these resources in order to increase the county's profit and local economy.

Sanjiang's main attraction is the neat, indigo-clad Dong themselves, a people renowned for their wooden houses, Drum Towers and bridges which dot the countryside hereabouts, and it's well worth roving the region with the help of minibuses and converted tractors known locally as "Dong taxis". There's a scattering of simple hostels and places to eat, and villagers will sometimes offer lodgings and sustenance - characteristically sour hotpots, oil tea (a bitter, salty soup made from fried tea leaves and puffed rice), and homemade rice wine - though it's polite to offer payment in these circumstances. Language can be problematic, as many locals can't speak putonghua, let alone English; people are, however, very friendly.

Many visitors head immediately for the lovely Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge about 20km (12 miles) northeast of town, but also attractive and worth exploring are the many Dong villages around Sanjiang. The Dong Ethnic are known for their spectacular festivals. Sanjiang's main attraction however are the neat, indigo-clad Dong themselves, a people renowned for their wooden houses, towers and bridges which dot the countryside hereabouts. It's well worth roving the region with the help of minibuses and converted tractors known locally as "Dong taxis".

• Dragon Palace
• Jiaxiu Pavilion
• Hongfu Temple
• Qianling Park
• Huangguoshu Waterfall
• Yao People
• Chenyang Wind and Rain Bridge
• Sanjiang
• Shui People's Village
• Miao Village
• Dong People
• Qingyan Old Town
• The Huaxi National Wetland Park