Yushuwan Block in Hunan: Experience Dong culture after dark Updated: 2026-08-21 | China Bound

https://www.chinabound.cn/s/202608/21/WS6a87fd28498e36855033f4c9/yushuwan-block-in-hunan-experience-dong-culture-after-dark.html Step onto the flagstone-paved lanes of Yushuwan Block in Huaihua, Central China’s Hunan province, and discover the traditions of the Dong, Miao, Yao and Tujia people. Folk songs fill the air as traditional wooden stilt houses line the streets, their upturned eaves glowing softly beneath the evening sky. At the heart of this 11.2-hectare block stands Xuefeng Drum Tower, a striking example of Dong architectural heritage. Rising 28 meters, the tower is built entirely with timber using traditional mortise-and-tenon techniques for its main body. With a diameter of 39.6 meters, it showcases the craftsmanship and communal spirit of the Dong people.