Eighteen kilometres north of Sanjiang, CHENGYANG sits on the far side of the Linxi River, crossed from the main road by a splendid wind-and-rain bridge . There are many of these in the region, but Chengyang's is the finest and most elaborate: raised in 1916, five solid stone piers support an equal number of pavilions (whose different roofs illustrate several regional building styles) linked by covered walkways, entirely built from pegged cedar - not one nail was used in the bridge's construction. Cool and airy in summer, and protected from downpours, these bridges - fengyu qiao in Chinese - are perfect places to sit around and gossip, though they once served a religious purpose, too, and other examples have little shrines grimed with incense smoke in their halfway alcoves. The shrine on Chengyang's is vacant as the bridge is a protected cultural relic and no fire is allowed. Women here hawk pieces of embroidery, cotton blankets boldly patterned in black and white, and the curiously shiny blue-black Dong jackets, dyed indigo and varnished in egg-white as a protection against mosquitoes.

Across the bridge, Chengyang itself is a pretty collection of warped, two- and three-storeyed traditional wooden houses , overlooked by a sqaure-sided drum tower - both, like the wind-and-rain bridges, synonomous with the Dong. Drum towers were used as lookout posts when the country was at war, the drums inside beaten to rouse the village; today people gather here for meetings and entertainment. The Dong are not great believers in stone or concrete buildings, as traditional wooden structures can more easily be extended or even shifted as necessary. Fire is a major concern, though, and throughout the year each family takes turns to guard the village from this hazard.

Wander out to the fields and you'll find a string of paths connecting Chengyang to visibly poorer hamlets, similar congregations of dark wood and cobbles, many with their own, less elaborate bridges and towers. On the way, look for creaky black waterwheels made from plaited bamboo, somehow managing to supply irrigation canals despite dribbling out most of their water in the process. There's also a trail from the main road up to two pavilions above, with some nice views of the dark, gloomy villages nestled among vivid green fields.

The last bus back to Sanjiang passes by around 5pm, but Chengyang is a better place to stay overnight, with two hostels : the Chengyang National Hostel (dorms and rooms up to ¥30; meals extra) is a traditional wooden building, with simple facilities and nice staff, signposted on the river just outside Chengyang; the similar Dong Village Hotel (up to ¥30) run by a local named Michael (who targets foreigners arriving at Sanjiang's bus station), is nearby.