The Dong minority villages of Tongdao County, south of Huaihua, are among the most architecturally extraordinary destinations in Hunan. The Dong people — known as the Kam in their own language — construct drum towers of remarkable engineering from wood alone, with no nails, using complex bracket systems that have been passed down through generations of village carpenters. The covered wind-and-rain bridges across the valleys are equally striking.
Traditional Dong polyphonic singing (Grand Song) is a UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage and still performed at festivals and, in some villages, as part of everyday communal life. The best time to visit is during local festivals, when the bridges and drum towers become the staging ground for music and ceremony. Tongdao is accessible by bus from Huaihua in roughly two to three hours. Basic guesthouses in village homes are available; staying overnight allows you to experience the village after the day visitors have left.