Sanjiang, a county belonging to Liuzhou City in Guangxi Autonomous Region, lies at the joint area of Guangxi, Guizhou and Hunan provinces. As one of the five Dong minority autonomous counties in China, Sanjiang has the largest population of the Dong people. Therefore, Sanjiang boasts the Dong people's distinctive architecture – the drum tower and the Wind and Rain Bridge.

Representing the high-quality building technology of the Dong people, drum towers in the Dong villages are spectacular and exquisite. Each Dong village has at least one drum tower. Some have four or five towers. Usually the drum hanging on the tower is made of cow skin, used for calling people before a meeting or for asking for help when accidents happen.

Situated in Mapang Village, 16 miles away from the county, the Mapang Drum Tower is a typical drum tower in Sanjiang. Built in 1928, it has nine floors and is 16.4 yards high. Shaping like a pagoda, the tower was engraved with dragons and phoenixes on the eaves. A sculpture of crane is standing on the top of the tower which symbolizes auspiciousness. The entire structure is joined together with redwood, without a single iron nail. It is said that the Dong architect drew the blueprint with only a carpenter's square and a bamboo marker.

The Wind and Rain Bridge is another characteristic feature of the Dong minority's architecture. The most well-known one in Sanjiang is Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge. Located in the Chengyang Village of Sanjiang County, the bridge spans the Linxi River. Thus it is also called Linxi Wind and Rain Bridge. Built in 1916 and was once damaged by super floods, it is now well-preserved and still keeps firm. While the Batuan Wind and Rain Bridge which situates in Batuan Village, is of another kind. Although smaller than the Chengyang Bridge, this bridge is six years older and is unique for having two separate lanes for people and livestock.

If visitors want to see more of the local bridges and drum towers, they may go to the Dong Ethnic Eco-museum. Centered on the Dong Ethnic Museum in the county, the eco-museum consists of nine Dong villages including 28 drum towers and 13 bridges, where visitors can have an eyeful of the Dong architecture.

Each city has its history. The history of Sanjiang can be traced in the Liangkou Scenic Area and the Danzhou Scenic Area, where many of the ancient constructions were built in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Among them, the Sanwang (Three Kings) Palace and the Ancient Banyan of the Liangkou Scenic Area deserve a visit.