Ask a QuestionXijiang Qianhu Miao Minority Village, located in southeast Guizhou, is one of the most distinctive ethnic villages in China. There are more than 1,250 households and 5,600 Miao people living there. It is the largest Miao minority village in China, also known as the Miao Capital. Going to the southeast of Guizhou, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Minority Village is the most classic place that tourists can't miss. Follow our photography tips for Xijiang Qianhu Miao Minority Village to enjoy an excellent photography tour in China.
Xijiang Qianhu Miao Minority Village
For photographers, the most charming parts of Xijiang Qianhu Miao Minority Village are the night scenery and suspended (wooden) buildings. The night scenery of Xijiang Qianhu Miao Minority Village is magnificent. As the sky becomes darker and darker, thousands of households turn on their lights. Looking from the viewing pavilion on the mountain, the whole village is sparkling with bright lights, and it becomes the sea of lights.
The suspended (wooden) buildings are originated from ancient Chinese rail architecture by using bamboo and wood as the main construction materials. It is generally divided into three floors. The ground floor is mainly used to raise poultry and pile up debris of agricultural tools. People will live on the second floor. The top floor is used to store cereals.
In ancient southern China, it was particularly common to see this type of architecture. Due to the abundant rainfall and humid climate on the mountainous area, it is necessary to ensure the stability of the house, separate the house from the ground to keep dry and defense against snakes and beasts.
Under the above conditions, the suspended (wooden) buildings were emerged, which show the great wisdom of ancient Chinese people. If you are interested in Chinese ethnic minorities' photography, Xijiang Qianhu Miao Minority Village is a must-see destination.
Wooden Buildings
Except for architectures, some photographers are also fond of shooting local customs through their native festivals. There are a total of 56 nationalities in China, and the festivals of various nationalities are colorful. In these grand festivals, everyone's dress is special and their performances also reflect their unique customs. It is a good photography theme to shoot the portraits at festivals, such as their dress, makeup and performance.
The Sisters' Meal Festival is one of the most popular festivals in Miao village among tourists, especially for photographers, which starts from lunar March 17 to lunar March 19 every year. It is regarded as the oldest Valentine' Day by local people. During that festival, all single women will wear traditional Miao ethnic costumes to sing and dance with single men. The young women will also prepare colorful glutinous rice for their favorite men.
When shooting the suspended (wooden) buildings, don't just think about shooting the building itself, sometimes the picture looks monotonous. If you can add some environmental elements into the picture such as trees, mountains, sky, rains, the sunrise and sunset, etc. to avoid the monotonous of the picture, they will render and highlight the suspended (wooden) buildings.
Use the Blue Sky as the Background
The ancient villages and towns have their own characteristics but have a common feature: the buildings are in a fixed place and don't move, which allows long time exposure. We can freely find the shooting angles and use a variety of shooting techniques when taking photos with the villages and towns. For example: shooting from the oblique side angle makes the buildings in the picture present a perspective and three-dimensional effect. Shooting from a high position with a wide-angle lens, photographers can get a panorama view of the whole village, and the magnificent layers of the suspended (wooden) buildings will be fully presented in the picture. Photographers can also take the ancient buildings as background and other scenes as foreground to highlight the subject.
In order to portray the beauty of ethnic minority villages and display rich architectural styles, we should make full use of the most crucial shooting element: light. Light can enhance the beauty and style of the building. Through the light, you can avoid the dullness of the photo, and create the light and dark changes in the photo. The subject of the photo will be highlighted in this way.
For example: shooting with sidelight, that is, the direction of light irradiation is at a certain angle with the direction of the camera's view. Under the sidelight conditions, the contrast between light and dark is more obvious, and the three-dimensional sense and texture are more prominent.
Xijiang Qianhu Miao Minority Village is famous for the night scenery. In order to shoot the best night scenery, photographers should master the ideal photography time. Generally, for a sunny day, the ideal time for shooting night scenery is 10-30 minutes after the sunsets. During this time, the sky will still be blue, and it will be easier to take wonderful photos. If the background is too dark, the strong light caused by the villages' lights will increase the contrast, making it more difficult for the photographers to control the exposure.
Night Sceneries
The above photography tips for Xijiang Qianhu Miao Minority Village may inspire you a lot, however, you still need to get a completed plan before traveling. If you're worried about the planning, just let us help you with all the tedious work. You can easily plan your trip by contacting us, our experienced travel advisors are happy to help you out.
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