Paradise Lost: Dive into the world's largest Miao village (3)

With the coming of dusk, swallows begin to soar over the village, which awakens once again with its exuberant night life. (People's Daily Online/Kou Jie)

Entering the village via zigzagging cobble trails, travellers are immediately thrown into the hustle and bustle of a commercial hub of crowded streets that throng with humanity. Vendors, artisans, well-dressed Miao maidens in shining silvery bracelets walk beside travellers and idlers, while sightseeing vehicles and carts struggle to make headway through this river of people.

The thickest crowds usually gather in the business districts centred in the village. It is a brawling, open-air market, with lines of traditional log houses and rows of shops crammed in every corner of the cobbled streets. According to statistics, the local authorities have established over 270 stalls to help local residents start their own small businesses, such as snack bars, souvenir shops and photo booths. All local residents can sign up for a stall, and draw lots to decide who can be chosen.