In May of 2011, http://www.accesschinatravel was invited to the grand opening of a brand new Chinese tourist site. It is located in Yong Zhou City in Dao Xian County in China's Hunan Province. The local government invited representatives from tour companies from around China to the grand opening. New site openings are always very exciting events. The name of this site is Wan Fo Shan (Ten-Thousand Buddhas Mountain). It 
is a nature site which shows off the unique mountains and wetlands in the area. The mountains are very round and look like a giant dropped a few marbles while traveling somewhere.The government officials where the site is located chartered busses for us to travel to the site. The bus trip was four and a half hours long. The site is located in Dao Xian County,
which is a Dong Ethnic Minority County. This means the majority of the residences are members of the Dong Minority. When we arrived at our hotel, we found a red carpet lined with Ethnic Minority girls in traditional clothing. That was a lovely surprise. Their clothing was incredibly beautiful, as was the silver jewelry they wore. After checking in, we were taken to dinner. The dinner was quite lovely 
and featured local dishes, all of which were very good. We were then free for the rest of the day.In the morning of the second day, we all had breakfast in our hotel which again, was lovely. We were then driven to the site. When we arrived at the site, we have quite a scene laid out before us. On either side of the road leading to the main gate were Dong Ethnic Minority people wearing their traditional clothing and performing for us. Some were playing musical instruments, while others were dancing. It was really fun and lively. The traditional instrument most often associated with the Dong Minority Group is the Lusheng.
It is made entirely of bamboo and resembles a small pipe organ. Musicians blow into it and use their fingers to cover the holes in the pipes to produce a very soothing sound. It sounds like wind blowing through a bamboo grove. It is quite lovely. When we all assembled in front of the main gate to the Wan Fo Shan site, the MC's, who were also dressed in traditional Dong clothing, introduced the site and told how it 
came to exist. Then, local government officials cut a ribbon to officially open the site. We then entered.The site is really very beautiful. Upon entering, you have to pass through some wetland areas which are wonderful. All around you jutting out of the ground are mountains. Some of them are very bare and round while others are conical shaped and covered with
vegetation. It is a very unique area. After passing through the wetlands, you follow a path that leads you between mountains. It was a hot and sunny day, but once we got amongst the mountains, it became cool and shaded. The paths on the site are beautifully constructed. They are made of cement, but appear to be made of local wood. They blend in beautifully. Along the way we passed by Wan Fo Cliff, which is 
what the site is named for. The cliff is covered with cross-cross indentations which look like Buddhas sitting together in meditation. We also passed a couple of unique sites in and amongst the mountains. The mountains come straight down to the ground, so you are able to walk amongst the mountains. It is a very cool thing to experience.We then climbed up the mountain. The mountain has paths built on it.
They are not cut into the rock, but instead attached to the site of it. The views as you climb the mountain, the views are simply breathtaking. The strange mountains were blanketed in mists making them seem ethereal. The photos do not come close to showing the true beauty of the area. The path up the mountain goes around the mountain as it climbs it, so the views of the surrounding landscape are 
constantly changing. At the top of the mountain is the site where there was an ancient Buddhist Temple. It was destroyed in the late Qing Dynasty and all that is left is a few wall fragments. At the top of the mountain is a pavilion to sit and take in the views that surround you.We then climbed back down the mountain on the opposite side that we climbed up. After we all got to
the base of the mountain, we got into our busses for a trip to a Dong Ethnic Minority village. The scenery that passed us was something out of an ancient Chinese painting. We passed by mountains surrounded by rice fields and ancient villages. We could see water buffaloes soaking in streams and villagers going about their business. It was very picturesque. When we arrived at the village, we were met by more 
Dong Ethnic Minority people dressed in their finest traditional clothing. They were playing traditional music on their Lusheng's. There were young girls playing music as well. They were so cute! The village was gorgeous. It was surrounded by rice fields and the ancient houses inside had such a character to them. There were small gardens hidden between the houses and a stream flowing through the village. The village was built according to the terrain and therefore was built on different levels with ramps and stairs between them. The ancient wooden houses are obviously maintained as evident by the new wood on some of them. After exploring the village, we went to a home for oil tea, which is unique to the Dong Minority Group. They fry tea leaves 
in oil before brewing it. It is served with beans, rice, and puffed rice. It is as much a meal, as it is a bowl of tea. The houses are all three stories tall. The ground floor is where they keep the animals and farming equipment. The second floor is the main rooms of the house; the kitchen, living room, and dining room. The third floor is the bedrooms.We then went to the local
performance hall for a performance of traditional music and dances. It was really well performed and very beautiful. We then were invited to a feast. That was quite an honor. The village was built around a central square which is flanked by a shrine, a drum tower, and a shelter where the village elders would sit. The square is used for feasts, celebrations, dances, meetings, etc. There were long tables placed 
around the square in rows and there were hundreds of people there. The food was fantastic. It was all locally produced meat and vegetables. The dishes were simply made to show off the fresh ingredients. There were a lot of traditional meat and vegetable dishes along with fried crickets with peppers. They were quite delicious and crunchy. After the feast we were driven back to our hotel.The next morning, we had breakfast in our hotel and boarded the busses for our trip back to Guilin. It was a most wonderful experience and one I will never forget. The site was beautiful and the local Dong Minority people were just fantastic. They welcomed us so openly.
To see more photos of our trip to Wan Fo Shan Mountain, visit our Flickr Album
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