The Drum Tower in Dongzhai resembles a big fir tree, which the villagers call a "shade tree". It can be seen that it comes from nature and is the concrete application of bionics in architectural culture. Dong Zhai Drum Tower and Han Drum Tower not only have different shapes, but also have different functions. The former is not only the social activity center for Dong villagers to meet and discuss, but also the place for political and cultural activities. Among more than 300 Dong Zhai Drum Towers in Guizhou, congjiang county Zengchong Drum Tower is the oldest, largest and most complicated one. Built in the early Qing Dynasty, the building is a pyramid-shaped roof structure with thirteen eaves, with a height of more than 20 meters and an area of 100 square meters. 1988 was announced by the State Council as a national key cultural relics protection unit. There is a wind and rain bridge nearby, which is also a part of the "Zengchong Drum Tower". Probably in order not to compete with the Drum Tower for the leading role, I am willing to be a supporting role, not carving, not painting, not being melodramatic, and only carving auspicious animals at the bridge head as a "protector".
Dong people like to sing Dong Opera, and there are many theaters in Dong Zhai, some of which have as many as four or five stockades. Most of the Dong Village Opera Houses are built in the center of Dong Village, which is closely combined with Drum Tower and Ge Ping, forming the "heart" of Dong Village. Dong Opera was initiated by the famous dramatist Wu Wencai. Because Dong Opera is developed on the basis of Dong folk songs and folk stories, with a good mass base and easy popularization, a large number of theaters have been built, with more than 100 in congjiang county alone.
Dong Zhai Opera House adopts high-quality Chinese fir which is rich in Dong township. The ground is covered with fir bark, and some are also covered with small blue tiles. On the ridge of Gaiwa Building, there are colored sculptures and two dragons grabbing treasures in the middle, and carved fish at the end of the ridge, with high and elegant wing angles. The stage is 13 to 14 meters wide and 7 to 8 meters deep. There are many woodcarvings on the cover, decorated with Youlong flying phoenix, people's stories, flowers, birds, insects and fish, which are colorful and full of rich national style. Dong Zhai Opera House has a similar feature, that is, most of them are built on fish ponds. This not only saves land, but also facilitates fire prevention and moisture prevention. What is particularly interesting is that acting on the stage, raising fish under the stage, and people jumping happily set each other off.
Dong people like to live by the water. Streams, flowing water and small bridges are a major feature of Dong village scenery. Where there is river and water, there are bridges, and there are many bridges in the river. According to incomplete statistics, there are more than 300 wind and rain bridges in Liping, Congjiang and Rongjiang counties alone. Bridge is a water transportation facility, but Dongzhai Yufeng Bridge is not only a transportation facility, but also has the functions of decorating the country and cultivating geomantic omen. According to the custom of the Dong people, building a wind and rain bridge at the end of the village can keep the wealth of the village from flowing with the water. Dongzhai Fengyu Bridge is not only a symbol of wealth, but also a guarantee of wealth.
Many wind and rain bridges, painted with colorful plastics, are called "flower bridges". Among many flower bridges, the "Louhua Bridge" in Liping County is the most spectacular. The bridge spans Nanjiang, with a total length of 57 meters. There is a long corridor on the bridge. There are three pavilions in the corridor, and the middle one looks like the Drum Tower, which is called "Overseas Chinese Drum Tower". On the promenade of the Wind Bridge and the Drum Tower of the Flower Bridge, there are more than 20 Dong folk customs paintings, such as Dong Jia Fang, Dong Jia Brocade, White Water rafting, blowing sheng Competition, Double Corner Fighting, Singing Sitting on the Moon and Nanjiang Xiaojing. In 200 1 year, Diping Yufeng Bridge was announced as a national key cultural relics protection unit.