Concerning beautiful tourist attractions, there are two routine scenes.

In most cases, tourists flock to these already overcrowded places, which are mixtures of beautiful sceneries, loud noise, and rampant commercialism; most likely tourists will leave with a mixed feeling of appreciation and regret alongside a headache!

However, the case is completely different in another kind of beautiful places which may be only a few steps away from these hot tourist spots. Dwarfed by the brilliance of those celebrated tourist sites, these places may be seldom known to the outside world and hence are free from the devastation of modern commercialism, presenting before the tourists a simple but beautiful world. In tourism, they are known as "sub-hot tourist destinations", which are actually in no way inferior to those hot tourist resorts. Among them are the Tunbao Villages, also known as Stone Kingdom.

By the side of a piece of grassland on the way from Guiyang (capital of Southwest China's Guizhou Province) to Huangguoshu Scenic Spot, 150 kilometers away lies Tunbao Village, a white island which is completely built with stones - stone enclosing walls, stone city walls, stone tiles and stone watchtowers…a real Stone Kingdom.

Tunbao village is certainly a place than can spark imagination. Village women dressed in wide-sleeved loose robes with silk belts can be seen walking along the mountainous paths and in the narrow town streets. The women's unique clothes often lead outsiders to believe they belong to one of the numerous ethnic groups living in Guizhou, but in fact, they are completely Han people, historically known as "Tunbao People".

For ages, Tunbao women have dressed in the manner of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), wearing loose robes with wide sleeves and embroidered cuffs and traditional pointed-toe cloth shoes, which are exquisitely made with various techniques. Although many years have passed, the Tunbao people have never forgotten that they are descendants of armed men, and that their hometown is far away!

This Stone Kingdom contains three places of high recommendations: Tianlong Town, Benzhai Village and Yunshantun Village.

Tianlong Town	Yunshantun Stockade Village
Benzhai Village	Legend about Tunbao Village
Transportation & Accommodation	Shopping
Facts to know

So the next time you find yourself with time to spare but no desire to travel due to a dislike of loud noise and an influx of hotels and souvenir shops, why not try the Stone Kingdom? It will provide you a more enjoyable and purer experience.

The Beauty of Simplicity (Ⅱ)

The Beauty of Simplicity (Ⅲ)

The Beauty of Simplicity (Ⅳ)

Author: Jessie

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