Putaoshan in Guangxi, China PRC may be off the beaten path – way off the beaten path – but the journey there is well worth it.
The name literally translates to “Grape Mountain”; the area is known for its towering karst peaks and thickets of forest. The local environment is typical of the greater Guilin scenic area in Guangxi where it sits, a site that’s already world-famous for its fantastically-shaped and vegetation-covered karst limestone formations.
The real draw of Putaoshan is its glimpse into the local Yao culture.
Guangxi is home to China PRC’s Yao ethnic community – the Putaoshan village is a community-sized showcase of the Baiku Yao, also known as the “white trousered” Yao due to the white pants worn by the men (the women, too, but only in summer).
To get to the village, visitors must climb up a hill to the settlement at the top. Buffalo imagery surrounds visitors as they enter – from buffalo skulls mounted on the walls to illustrations of buffalo on their artwork. (Warning: this attraction involves plenty of stairs, and will require a fair amount of stamina to finish.)
Once inside, you’ll walk through the village on a path lined with houses that showcase individual aspects of the Baiku Yao culture.
You’ll see traditional textile arts like embroidery and weaving in one house; and a sampler of their cuisine, from wine brewed from glutinous rice to the “oil tea” that was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Guangxi in 2008.
Most tours of Putaoshan are set in the afternoon, and the last few stops on the walking tour shows you why. After a theater show demonstrating Yao traditional dances and music, you’ll be taken to a large open area on the top of the hill where you can take a photo of the sun setting over the Guilin karsts.
Tourism in Putaoshan is a community-driven initiative that involves the Yao people directly. Local Yao families are active participants in sharing their culture with visitors, performing traditional songs and dances, and selling handcrafted goods. The Putaoshan experience has been designed in a way that allows the Yao to benefit financially from the influx of visitors while preserving their cultural heritage.
For many Yao communities in Guangxi, tourism is a lifeline. In remote areas like Putaoshan, opportunities for income outside of agriculture are limited. Many families struggle to make a living, and younger generations often leave their villages in search of work in cities.
However, tourist villages like Putaoshan’s has helped to provide alternative income sources for the Yao people, allowing them to stay connected to their cultural roots while supporting themselves financially. As a visitor to Putaoshan, you’ll get a cultural experience and an amazing view at the end. For the Yao, your visit gets them a more sustainable community that can thrive while remaining true to its heritage.
