Fenghuang Ancient Town

|Border Town under the pen of Shen Congwen. 'A bend of Tuojiang River, a Phoenix city.' A slight mist is diffused, three thousand bright lights are brilliant, so this is the border town under the pen of Mr. Shen Congwen... Rush to the Phoenix Ancient City in western Hunan to see the 'Border Town' under the pen of Shen Congwen. The majestic ancient city wall, the neat stilted buildings, the smooth bluestone roads, the Yao girls by the Tuojiang River... These are the first impressions of the Phoenix Ancient City. Phoenix is located in western Hunan, and is a county where ethnic minorities such as Miao and Tujia are mainly concentrated. This place has a long history and was once called 'the land of barbarians', but a 'Border Town' has pushed this ancient city to the world. Today's Phoenix is the 'most beautiful small city in China' in the mouth of New Zealand writer Rewi Alley and the 'Painting Township' under the pen of painter Huang Yongyu, which is comparable to the ancient city of Lijiang in Yunnan and the ancient city of Pingyao in Shanxi. 'Wait for a city of misty rain, just for you; cross a lifetime of love, only with you' 'I have walked over many bridges in my life, seen clouds many times, drunk many kinds of wine, but only loved a person at the best age' Perhaps many people like Shen Congwen because of this sentence. And because of his 'Border Town', they fell in love with Phoenix.

Winter treasure travel destination: Zhangjiajie + Phoenix Ancient City⛰️ Collect this Zhangjiajie guide if you like it🍃 🚗Travel route: Day1: Forest Park→Yuanjiajie→Golden Whip Stream→Wulingyuan Day2: Tianmen Mountain→Huangshizhai→Baofeng Lake→Charm Xiangxi Day3: Furong Town→Furong Waterfall→Night Tour Phoenix Day4: Phoenix Ancient City →Xiangxi Miao Village 🍣Food recommendation: ·Tujia Three Pots🥘: A special dish of Zhangjiajie, with three kinds of fresh meat paired with local special sauce, spicy and fragrant, warming and cold-relieving. ·Fern root powder🥣: A local special snack, smooth and tender fern root powder, paired with various seasonings, refreshing and delicious. ·Blood duck🦆: A special dish of Xiangxi, stewed with rice blood, duck meat and other ingredients, the meat is fresh and fragrant, soft and chewy ·Xiangxi bacon🥩: A local special dish, bacon smoked with firewood, with a rich and mellow taste, loved by foodies. ⛰️Scenic spot recommendation: 1️⃣Tianzi Mountain: One of the four major landscapes of Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan, known for its peak forest, sea of clouds, sunrise and winter snow. 2️⃣Bailong Elevator: A famous sightseeing elevator in Zhangjiajie, the highest outdoor elevator in the world, which can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the scenic area 3️⃣Phoenix Ancient City: Located in the Xiangxi section, it is a historical and cultural ancient city, with stilted buildings on both banks, the Tuojiang River is green and rippling, and the scenery is beautiful. 4️⃣Xiangxi Miao Village: One of the important birthplaces of Chinese Miao culture, it is a good place to appreciate Miao scenery and experience Miao customs. Like this guide, friends, hurry up and like and collect it💕 Welcome to the comment area for interaction🍃

Fenghuang Ancient Town, located on the banks of the Tuojiang River in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province, is a well-preserved ancient town known as "China's most beautiful small city". Fenghuang Ancient Town is renowned for its unique architectural style, rich cultural heritage, and enchanting scenery. I. Features of Fenghuang Ancient Town Architectural Style: Fenghuang Ancient Town is dominated by wooden structures, with a unique style that is steeped in the cultural essence of the Tujia and Miao ethnic groups, earning it the reputation of a "Ming and Qing Dynasties architecture museum". Cultural Heritage: With a long history, Fenghuang Ancient Town has a profound cultural heritage. It is a traditional settlement of the Tujia and Miao ethnic groups, where visitors can experience the strong ethnic customs and traditional culture. Beautiful Scenery: The surroundings of Fenghuang Ancient Town are beautiful, with the Tuojiang River winding through. The town's small bridges over flowing water, cobblestone lanes, and ancient residential courtyards are all breathtaking sights. II. Tour Route Preparation: You can choose appropriate transportation from Zhangjiajie City in Xiangxi to Fenghuang Ancient Town, and prepare essential items such as a camera, sunscreen, comfortable clothing, and shoes. Stroll through the Ancient Town: Upon arriving at Fenghuang Ancient Town, you can stroll through the town, admire the ancient buildings, streets, pavilions, and platforms, and feel the historical and cultural atmosphere of the ancient town. Boating on the Tuojiang River: You can choose to boat on the Tuojiang River, enjoy the panoramic view of the ancient town, and experience the coolness and tranquility of the river water, which is a unique experience. Folk Performances: Fenghuang Ancient Town offers many folk performances and activities, such as Tujia songs and dances, Miao traditional festivals, etc. You can participate in these to understand the local folk culture. Food Experience: While wandering through the ancient town, you can taste authentic Xiangxi cuisine, such as hot and sour rice noodles, cured meat rice noodles, spicy chicken, etc., and experience the food culture of Xiangxi. III. Safety Instructions Pay Attention to Safety: When visiting Fenghuang Ancient Town, tourists should pay attention to safety, comply with the regulations of the scenic area, not walk in prohibited areas at will, and avoid accidents. Protect the Environment: While touring the ancient town, tourists should take care of the environment, not litter, and keep the scenic area clean and tidy. Respect Local Culture: When participating in folk performances and activities, tourists should respect the local folk culture and customs, not disturb the lives of local residents, and maintain politeness and friendliness. Fenghuang Ancient Town is a charming ancient town where visitors can experience the rich cultural atmosphere of the Tujia and Miao ethnic groups, and appreciate the ancient architectural style and beautiful scenery.

Fenghuang Ancient Town is this unreal slice of history tucked away in Hunan, China. With its stilted houses right on the river, winding cobblestone paths, and bridges that look amazing lit up at night, it's like walking into the past. It's perfect for anyone into history, culture, or just looking for some awesome photos. Definitely a must-see for an authentic peek into China’s rich heritage. Super picturesque and full of character. It was accessible by train directly from Zhangjiajie, can be visited as a day tour but I would definitely recommend staying at least one night since trains back to Zhangjiajie depart early. That way you can enjoy this picturesque town also at night. Bonus tip: if you rent an outfit and have a photoshoot, you can do it almost at sunset time, so you have both daytime and nighttime pictures 😉 #freehotelstay

I personally think that the ancient town of Fenghuang is better during the day than at night. It is best to travel outside of holidays to truly appreciate the unique charm of Fenghuang Ancient Town. Traveling during holidays, apart from the lively nights, only offers a bland and heavily commercialized experience! 🌟 After getting off the high-speed train, don't take the magnetic levitation taxis. Instead, walk inside and buy a direct bus ticket for 7 yuan per person. It's about 8 kilometers and takes 20 minutes. When purchasing, show the staff the hotel you're going to, and they will tell you which bus number to take (there are only 2 routes). 🌟 Book your hotel in advance, and don't worry about which gate to enter through. The ancient town is neither too big nor too small, and there are many places to visit, so it doesn't really matter where you stay. There's no need to be picky about the location or to stay in the county outside. Just choose a hotel inside the ancient town. It's best not to choose a hotel by the river during holidays, as it can be noisy until 2 a.m., making it hard to sleep. On regular days, riverside hotels can be an option, but choose carefully. I personally recommend staying at a hotel further inside, as accommodations are very affordable and you're unlikely to encounter any issues. 🌟 If you choose a homestay near Nanhua Gate, there will be many stairs, which is not convenient for luggage. Look at the map and try to choose a location a bit closer to the river at the bottom left corner, where there are not too many stairs and it's more convenient. 🌟 Two days and one night are enough; there's no need to stay too long. The scenery is beautiful during the day when the weather is good, especially from Wanming Pagoda to Feng Bridge. If you want to see the night view, you can go to Nanhua Bridge. 🌟 The photos you can take in the ancient town are quite similar, so there's no need to choose too expensive a package. The 199, 299, 399, 699 options are really just for the experience. A 199 package is enough, and the photos will be similar. Many are just casual shots, but you can still get one or two that you like! It's best to rent a costume and take photos during the day, as they don't look good at night. You don't need to deliberately look for roadside photographers; sometimes they will take photos for you, and if you like them, you can buy them—10 yuan for 7 photos! 🌟 The food and goods in the ancient town are too expensive and not tasty or enjoyable. You're always stepping on landmines with the heavy commercialization. The entire ancient town is almost entirely filled with clothing and travel photography shops. It's really only suitable for a glance at the scenery. Biancheng is not Fenghuang Ancient Town, but if you have time, you can find a driver to carpool for 80 yuan per person to visit Chadianzi, the place described by Shen Congwen in his writings!

Phoenix, an ancient city steeped in time, is like a flowing scroll, telling stories of a thousand years. This border town located in Western Hunan has been endowed with endless charm and poetry by Mr. Shen Congwen. It is not only a flowing ink painting but also a thick book carrying the memory of history and the inheritance of culture. The bluestone paths wind and twist, like a long river of time, taking people back to that era of innocence and simplicity. The quaint wooden buildings are built by the water, and every window, every door seems to be telling an ancient story. The water of the Tuo River is as green as jade, with a few white clouds floating on the surface, forming a picturesque and beautiful scroll.

During the day, there aren't many people, but at night it gets very crowded! The streets are quite narrow and packed with people. The night view of the ancient town is very beautiful, you must go and see it, there are many music bars by the river but the prices are generally high. Local delicacies include special dishes like blood curd duck, Miao pancakes, beef rice noodles, and shrimp cakes. I tried the blood curd duck and beef rice noodles (blood curd duck is available in many restaurants) and the taste was quite good~ There are many top-rated restaurants every day, you can go and check them out!! It is recommended to use group buying for 1-2 person meals, most of which are priced around 68 yuan, and you can eat very well. The most popular shop for beef rice noodles is Shili Xiang noodle shop, but I just randomly chose a shop, and the taste was also good. The noodles are the very wide kind, they look spicy but are not. Photography: There are photo studios all over the ancient town, with both cheap and expensive prices, but you get what you pay for. You should visit several studios, pick and choose carefully. 398 yuan for 10 retouched photos, with all negatives included. The makeup artists are very good, and you can ask for a makeup change if you're not satisfied. Accommodation: Don't worry about not having a place to stay! There are homestays everywhere, but you still need to look ahead of time. The river view rooms have great views, and at night you can listen to the music from the bars by the river. But the prices are a bit more expensive, ranging from 200-600 yuan (or even more expensive), so you can choose according to your own needs. Attention! When visiting the ancient town, be sure to wear comfortable flat shoes! Otherwise, your feet will hurt, as the roads in the ancient town are uneven. Some attractions in the scenic area require tickets, so check the weather forecast, as it is often rainy in this southern water town, so be prepared with an umbrella. Travel light, and if you can avoid bringing a suitcase, do so, as it's not convenient to wheel a suitcase around the ancient town.

Having visited many ancient towns, one might feel a sense of commercial homogeneity. However, I find the bridges over the Tuojiang River in Fenghuang Ancient Town particularly interesting. Nestled among green mountains, with clear waters flowing, each bridge has its own unique shape, full of aesthetic quality, and also carries a folkloric charm. It reminds me of the famous lines written by Mr. Shen Congwen, a local writer of Fenghuang Ancient Town: 'Between the green mountains and waters, I want to hold your hand and cross this bridge, Above the bridge are green leaves and red flowers, below is the flowing water and people's homes, The end of the bridge leads to youth, and this end to grey hair.' I think, this is probably the most beautiful expression of love and life.

You must go to the ancient town of Phoenix, look at its green tiles and white walls, wooden lattice windows: Stroll along the banks of the Tuojiang River, the lights of thousands of households, the group of stilted buildings, every window has a pair of eyes looking forward to it, waiting for you, how can you miss the night view of the ancient city of Phoenix! Go and see the Chang'an city that Mao Mao has been thinking about. The evening breeze of the Tuojiang River is really comfortable. Experience the Xiangxi style for once

Fenghuang Ancient Town has withstood the test of time for a millennium. Its ancient streets and alleys are brimming with historical footprints. Walking on the bluestone slabs, one can feel the profound longing for the 'Chang'an City'. The night view of Fenghuang Ancient Town is completely different from the daytime scenery. During the day, the ancient town resembles the lush border town, with crystal-clear rivers, crisp and pleasant bird songs, the white pagoda standing at the foot of the mountain, the quaint and elegant stilted buildings, and the few flat boats on the calm river surface. As night falls, immerse yourself in the night colors and the enchanting shadows of the ancient town, experiencing its colorful culture. ✅Recommended Travel Route: Nanhua Bridge—Xue Bridge—North Gate Tower—Tiaoyan—Fenghuang Ancient City Wall—Cross Street—Hong Bridge—Nanhua Mountain 🌟Attractions: ⛵️Boating on the Tuojiang River There are two sections for boating on the Tuojiang River. The upstream is for regular tourist boats, which depart from the dock north of the North Gate Tower and head east to disembark at the Wanshou Palace, enjoying the Tuojiang River style along the way. ❤️It is recommended to take a boat ride at night. There are performances and a 3D light show, and the small boats will circle around the dancing lady in red in the water, convenient for tourists to take photos. 🎫Fenghuang Ancient Town Ticket: Free admission (some attractions require tickets) 🎫Boat Ticket: 120 🚗Transportation: There is a high-speed train from Changsha directly to Fenghuang Ancient Town. It takes about 15 minutes by taxi from the high-speed train station, which also has a direct shuttle bus to Fenghuang Ancient Town. 🍰Cuisine: Blood Duck

Second time. Phoenix Ancient Town The sky is waiting for the misty rain When I came here a year ago, it was sunny It's the first time I've seen the ancient town on a cloudy day Unfortunately, I encountered river dredging Fortunately, the water is not too muddy The ancient town in the off-season is not noisy Less commercial atmosphere, more life atmosphere But I probably won't come again Unless it snows next time, please notify me in advance haha

Many people say that they learned about Fenghuang from Shen Congwen's 'Border Town', but in fact, 'Border Town' describes the ancient town of Chadong, which has always been less famous than Fenghuang. The stilted buildings along the river are built on the water, and looking down, it feels like arriving in the water towns of the south. As night falls, the brilliant lights decorate the ancient city like a dream. The clear Tuo River runs through the city, with its leisurely waters shimmering. The green mountains and trees along the bank complement the river. The ancient city has a single business model, with 70% being homestays + clothing photography, and the impact of serious commercialization needs attention. However, overall, Fenghuang is a charming ancient city. Come and experience it for yourself; its beauty and uniqueness are unforgettable. 🏮Lantern lighting time: Some say it's 18:30, some say 19:00, and others say 19:30! The lantern lighting time for this occasion is 18:55!