Bamei Village in Guangnan County, Wenshan

Located in Guangnan County of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, 30 kilometers from county seat, Bamei village is hard to find because of its unique location. It is surrounded by hills, and visitors have to travel by small boat through a long and dark limestone tunnel. 

Because of the remoteness and inconvenient transportation, it is very difficult to communicate with the outside world. Bamei village is isolated from the outside world for a long time and is in semi-closed status, therefore it is known as Xanadu.

Features of Bamei Village

Bamei village of Bamei Town, Guangnan County is surrounded by mountains. Because of its unique karst landforms, caves, rivers and villages, people in and out of the village must sail through the cave. The land in front of the village is flat and open and behind the house there are green bamboos, which are similar to the Jin Dynasty litterateur Tao Yuanming陶渊明 described the Peach Blossom Spring桃花源, so it is called “The Last Xanadu.”

Traditional Zhuang culture and customs 

The inhabitants at Bamei Village belong to Zhuang minority. Bamei means ‘cave in the forest’ in Zhuang language. It is said that the ancestors of Bamei residents are a Zhuang family of Guangdong Province. 600 years ago, they escaped from brutal outlaws and found the cave by chance. They believed it was a perfect place to hide, so later they invited some friends to live with them. Since then, Bamei Village had become a Peach Blossom Spring for these virtuous and amicable Zhuang people. Life is simple and easy for them. They can do everything for themselves. They plant rice paddies and cotton, spin and weave their own clothes, make bean curd with stone grinders, and even produce their own cooking oil. As long as they have enough salt, they can stay in the village without contacting with the outside world.

The traditional Zhuang culture and customs are still maintained at Bamei Village. Every year, the village holds festivals to sacrifice dragons, worship ancestors, sing folk songs, celebrate colorful glutinous rice festival, fight roosters, play lion dance, kick leaf ball, kick shuttlecock and other activities; Marriage and funeral are strictly carried out according to the rules of custom and etiquette; the traditional festivals are held according to the time, such as the off year (worshiping Yang Liulang), the third day of the third lunar month. The unique folklore activities preach the ancient symbols of Zhuang culture.

Nearby Attractions

1. Babao Scenic Area八宝风景区

Babao of Guangnan county广南八宝, also known as “Little Guilin”, is composed of four areas including Babao八宝, Heye河野, Tangna Karst Cave汤纳溶洞 and Sanla Falls三腊瀑布. There are winding stream, standing peak jungle, flying waterfalls, karst caves and village farmhouses, with beautiful scenery. You can sit on a bamboo raft, drift along the Babao River to downstream, along the way you can see karst peak forest, 10,000 mu of rice fields and a dozen Zhuang villages, beautiful scenery as fairyland.

2. Puzhehei 普者黑

The Puzhehei Scenic Area is in Qiubei County of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, 13 kilometers away from county seat. It is a charming fairyland boasting beautiful karst landscapes, lakes and the unique cultures of the Zhuang, Miao, Yi and Bai ethnic groups.