#BE’IN Castles in the Air (Zhaoxing Dong Village) Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in Jun)
Stayed at the homestay with a view of the ceiling in Dong Village
Biyin·Sky Pavilion
📍Zhaoxing Dong Village
🧹Soundproofing/Cleanliness:
Biyin is located in the middle of the village, overlooking the Zhentuan Drum Tower. This spot can be considered a peaceful place amidst the hustle and bustle, as it is situated in the middle of the village, making the distance to both ends of the village gates quite reasonable. Although close to the main street and performance area, the hotel is built high up and has good soundproofing. Plus, it's a bit away from the main street, so it's not noisy. After the evening performances end (around 9 pm), there's no need to worry about noise.
The room's window balcony offers a delightful view of the Dong Village rooftops; and if you climb up to the hotel's rooftop terrace, you get an excellent spot for an overhead shot of the village.
🏘️️️Room Type/Layout:
The room is spacious, with the Drum Tower right at the entrance.
🛌Amenities/Facilities:
What's also surprising is that Biyin is not just about photogenic spots, but also the 'ceiling' of details I've experienced in homestays. This is the first time I've stayed in a hotel that provides a washer-dryer combo for each room, which is incredibly convenient during summer travels (the next day after hiking, I washed all my sweaty clothes, so refreshing).
The bathroom is spacious, with a long vanity that makes it easy to put on makeup, and it even has an electric heated towel rack; the shower space is large enough, and the water is very comfortable. The bedding and slippers are excellent (for the common issue of poor sound insulation from wooden floors in Dong Village wooden hotels, the hotel thoughtfully provides very comfortable disposable soft slippers, encouraging you to change into them as soon as you return to your room, to reduce the noise of footsteps between floors.) At least during our 2-night stay, we had no issues with sound insulation.
💰️Average Cost: 1000 yuan/night
💗Other tips:
The hotel breakfast is also very good, although not varied, it's delicious, especially satisfying for someone like me who loves Chinese-style soupy dishes! I particularly loved their rice noodle toppings, the braised beef brisket is truly 'brisket', stewed until extremely tender and not sticky at all, super delicious. Besides rice noodles, there are also special dishes like black rice and fried rice...
The hotel also offers a complimentary afternoon tea, and coffee and tea in the lobby are free. The next day happened to be scorchingly hot, so after hiking back, I sat in the public area in the afternoon, enjoying afternoon tea and some fruit snacks, living a heavenly life!
CAIDEN FARMER
The Dong village here is such a great place to stay! A high-quality three-day, two-night trip with the kids
⛈️ Due to the continuous rain in Guangdong, we decided to go on a spontaneous trip, booked a high-speed train ticket, and set off. We finally arrived at this secluded ancient town, where every day was sunny, turning our moldy hearts sunny too ☀️
🚄 Transportation
Zhuhai→Guangzhou South→Congjiang Station Round-trip fare about 💰580
🚗 The high-speed train station is very close to the scenic area, it's almost impossible to catch a taxi, but you can take a bus. The homestay we stayed at provided a shuttle service, so it was very convenient
▪️ Essential documents
People from Guangdong should bring their ID card or residence permit, as they will be checked when entering the scenic area, and Guangdong residents are exempt from the 80 yuan ticket fee
☑️ Itinerary
Day 1: Afternoon tea at the homestay → Stroll through the commercial street and admire the beauty of the architecture → Dinner → Drink and listen to music at a bar → Bath at the homestay and enjoy the night view of the ancient town 🌃
Day 2: Self-service breakfast at the homestay → Play at the homestay's indoor playground → Lunch on the commercial street → Nap → Afternoon tea at the homestay → 🌾 Watch the sunset at the Antang terraced fields 🌅 → Enjoy the Dong village grand song at the homestay in the evening
Day 3: Self-service breakfast at the homestay → Play in the bubble pool → Take photos and overlook the ancient town from the rooftop observation deck → Stroll through the commercial street → 🌾 Visit the Dong village terraced fields → Return trip to the high-speed train station 🚄
🔺 This time we booked the top-ranked homestay, which made our trip with kids very relaxing.
🏠 The facilities of the homestay are impeccable, with all wooden decorations, making it very solid to stay in. The room's appliances are all from well-known brands. There are two baby playgrounds in the public area, and the fitness area even has a Pilates machine.
🍞 The self-service breakfast includes Dong village special noodles and rice, combining Chinese and Western styles.
🍓 The welcome fruit and afternoon tea are of good quality.
🚗 There is also a shuttle service to and from the high-speed train station, and electric cart transfers within the scenic area.
All the amenities are worth the price of admission.
The Dong village is not big, but it has distinctive ethnic characteristics. The differentiation gives us a sense of novelty, and the small bridges, flowing water, and architecture of the ancient town are very suitable for taking ethnic-themed photos. Three days and two nights are enough, but for those with kids, four days and three nights are recommended (traveling with kids is really at half speed).
💡 Tips
Prepare for chemical and physical sun protection
If the child is reluctant to walk, bring a lightweight stroller
Local food may not be suitable for children, so bring some snacks and bread for them
The cost for a photo shoot is basically 199 or 299 per person, it's best to do your homework in advance
Ava Carter 567_
Zhaoxing Dong Village | Staying in such a homestay really makes you not want to go home
Enjoy life to the fullest here, with no worries or pressures, only where the heart desires
✔️Location
The homestay is well located👍, right in the center of the main street, making it very convenient to go anywhere, and the official bonfire party is just downstairs
✔️Environment and Service
After booking, the housekeeper will kindly call to inquire about the time you arrive at the high-speed rail🚄 station and arrange to pick you up. Upon arrival at the homestay, they will also help you deliver your luggage to your room and arrange check-in
✔️Living Experience
The environment is comfortable, and there is a viewing balcony in the homestay lobby where you can have a panoramic view of the village. There is also a huge 360-degree viewing balcony on the third floor, which is quite nice for taking photos and checking in😌
When you check in, the housekeeper will give you a welcome gift🎁, which greatly increases the favorability🆙🆙🆙 The room is quite large and even has a small balcony for viewing. They also thoughtfully provide a dryer, especially useful if you DIY a tie-dye dress👗 on the street and want to wear it the next day
ps: The bayberry juice made by the homestay is really good, even better and more authentic than what is sold outside, and the afternoon tea cupcakes🧁 are also delicious😋
🏠BE'IN | Sky Mansion (Zhaoxing Dong Village Store)
345Max~Carter
Follow National Geographic to Zhaoxing and experience the charm of the aerial buildings
March in Zhaoxing Dong Village welcomes its most beautiful season. The golden sea of rapeseed flowers surrounds this ancient village with a history of over 800 years.
The houses in the village are all black-brown wooden stilted buildings, now shrouded in a misty haze of fog and cooking smoke.
In the center of the village, halfway up the mountain, there is an aerial building, with all rooms facing the ancient village, looking towards the opposite mountains, the distant terraces, and the wooden houses in the valleys.
🏘️ Biyin Aerial Building
🚗 Major transportation by high-speed rail to Congjiang Station, the homestay will arrange a car to pick up and drop off at the high-speed rail station, just 10min, no need for a scenic spot sightseeing ticket.
◽️ The homestay has an excellent location, right in the center of Zhaoxing Dong Village.
◽️ Through the window, you can see 2 drum towers, and the window view presents a unique perspective of beauty.
◽️ The hotel inherits the ancient 'Yao bath', easing the fatigue of the whole day
Open-air soaking pool, overlooking the entire ancient Dong village.
◽️ The homestay has electric cars, which can shuttle to various places in the village, making travel worry-free.
🎈 Exclusive children's play area, spacious parent-child rooms, and suites. It's also more convenient to travel with children.
【Travel and Play Strategy】
Day 1
. Take the high-speed rail to Congjiang Station
. Arrive at Zhaoxing Dong Village for lunch at noon, check in
. Visit Tang'an Dong Village in the afternoon to see terraces and sunset
. Stroll the streets at night to experience the Dong Village nightscape or watch Dong Grand Songs
Day 2
. Zhaoxing Dong Village viewing platform to watch the sunrise, overlooking the panoramic view of the Dong Village
. Experience tie-dyeing/wax dyeing in the morning
. Rent ethnic costumes for photos, leisurely stroll in the village
. 🚄 Return trip
Aurora_Nightshade-34
National Geographic won't lie to you!! Zhaoxing Dong Village is truly amazing
Visiting during the off-season for a leisurely stroll and food is so comfortable~
A relaxed workday
Chose a vacation homestay with butler-style service🥰
Hidden in the Dong Village, the loft in the sky
Offers a panoramic view of the Drum Towers, and when the lights come on at night
The serene and comfortable environment becomes even more pleasant
Pushing open the door, what catches the eye
270° floor-to-ceiling windows, paired with a private hot spring at night
▪️ The homestay is in a prime location with shuttle service
▫️ An open-style hot pool, using the ancient Yao bath
▪️ Butler-style service, with fruit and goodnight sweet soup
▫️ The room comes with an all-in-one washer and dryer
▪️ 360° observation deck, yoga room, gym, swimming pool
▫️ There are occasional night queues to experience local customs and culture
The store has many niche photo spots📷
Tie-dye fabric, observation deck, front desk, casually taken photos are all impressive
Getting a photo with people and the Drum Tower is a breeze☑️
Come here to relax wholeheartedly8️⃣