Introduction: The Phoenix Ancient City was built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty. It became famous worldwide because of Shen Congwen’s novel *The Border Town*. The bluestone streets in the city, the stilted buildings along the Tuo River, numerous ancient buildings, and the strong Miao and Tujia ethnic styles make it one of the most representative scenic spots in Western Hunan.
Main Attractions
Tuo River Rafting: Take a small boat and slowly move forward on the Tuo River, enjoying the ancient stilted buildings on both banks and feeling the tranquility and beauty of the ancient city.
Shen Congwen’s Former Residence: Visit the birthplace of the famous writer Shen Congwen, learn about his life and creative process, and experience the charm of literature.
Hongqiao Fengyu Tower: It combines scenic spots and tourist shopping. You can climb up the tower and overlook the scenery on both sides of the Tuo River.
Travel Tips: It is recommended to stay overnight in the ancient city to experience the night view and the tranquility of the early morning. You can stroll along the Tuo River, enjoy the brightly lit ancient city at night; or get up early and savor the charm of the ancient city when there are fewer tourists.
Furong Town
Introduction: Originally named Wangcun, it was renamed because the movie *Furong Town* starring Liu Xiaoqing and Jiang Wen was filmed here. Furong Town has a unique waterfall landscape and a well-preserved ancient town style, known as the “millennium ancient town hanging on the waterfall”.
Main Attractions
Waterfall: The waterfall passing through the town is the landmark landscape of Furong Town. The water pours down from the cliff with great momentum. You can feel the shock of the waterfall up close within the ancient town.
Xizhou Bronze Pillar: It is an important cultural relic for studying the history and culture of Western Hunan, with important historical inscriptions engraved on it.
Travel Tips: Walk along the bluestone road to visit the ancient town and taste local specialty snacks. In the evening, watch the illuminated waterfall, which has a unique flavor.
Qianzhou Ancient City
Introduction: With a history of more than 4,200 years, Qianzhou Ancient City is a military town on the South Great Wall. The architecture in the ancient city combines the characteristics of the Ming and Qing Dynasties with the ethnic customs of Western Hunan minorities.
Main Attractions
Hujiatang: It is composed of a large pond and a small pond. Ancient trees tower around the ponds, and the environment is quiet and elegant, with strong characteristics of Jiangnan water towns.
Sanmenkai: It is the landmark building of the ancient city, integrating functions such as transportation, defense, water intake, and fire prevention, and has great architectural art value.
Travel Tips: Slowly wander through the streets and alleys of the ancient city, admire the ancient architecture and folk culture exhibitions, and you can also participate in some local traditional handicraft experience activities.
Dehang Grand Canyon
Introduction: “Dehang” means “beautiful canyon” in the Miao language. Here, the mountains are undulating, the cliffs are towering, the peaks and forests overlap, and the rivers and streams crisscross, with unique natural scenery and strong Miao ethnic customs.
Main Attractions
Tianwen Terrace: It is an important observation deck in the canyon, where you can enjoy the magnificent canyon scenery and the unique mountain peak landform.
Aizhai Bridge: Although it is not inside the Dehang Grand Canyon scenic area, it is near the scenic area. It is a modern architectural miracle of a bridge. Tourists can admire its majestic appearance from some observation points in the scenic area, or they can also visit it specially.
Liusha Waterfall: With a drop of 216 meters, it is one of the highest waterfalls in China. The waterfall hangs like a white ribbon in the air and pours down from the cliff, which is very spectacular.
Travel Tips: You can hike through the canyon to enjoy the natural scenery and Miao villages. If you have enough physical strength, you can also try climbing along the mountain path to appreciate the beauty of the canyon from different angles.
Food Guide
Western Hunan Bacon
Features: It is smoked with pine and cypress branches, walnut shells, peanut shells, etc. It has the characteristics of bright red color, smoky and salty flavor, fat but not greasy, and melting in the mouth.
Recommended Dishes
Garlic Stir-fried Bacon: Cut the bacon into thin slices and stir-fry it with garlic. The fragrance of the bacon and the delicate fragrance of the garlic blend together, simple but delicious.
Dried Radish Stewed with Bacon: The dried radish absorbs the fat of the bacon and becomes soft and chewy, and the bacon also becomes more moist, with a delicious soup.
Blood Cake Duck
Features: This is a traditional famous dish in the Western Hunan area. The blood cake is made by mixing duck blood with glutinous rice and then stewed with duck meat. The duck meat is tender, and the blood cake is soft and glutinous. It has both the mellow flavor of the duck meat and the unique taste of the blood cake.
Recommended Restaurant: There are many restaurants in Phoenix Ancient City that serve blood cake duck, such as “Laogen Restaurant”, etc. You can choose to go according to the reviews of tourists.
Sour Soup Fish
Features: Using the special sour soup in Western Hunan as the soup base and fresh fish to cook. The sour soup has a rich flavor, and the fish is tender, spicy and appetizing.
Recommended Restaurant: You can taste sour soup fish in restaurants all over Western Hunan. In some riverside restaurants in Furong Town, tasting sour soup fish while enjoying the waterfall view is a unique experience.
Western Hunan Rice Noodles
Features: The Western Hunan rice noodles have a smooth taste and are divided into thick and thin ones. The soup is delicious, usually made by boiling pig bones, cow bones, etc., and then adding various toppings, such as beef, shredded pork, fungus, etc., with rich flavors.
Recommended Restaurant: “Qianzhou Rice Noodle Restaurant” in Jishou City has authentic Western Hunan rice noodles with a rich variety of toppings.
Rice Tofu
Features: Grind the rice into rice milk after washing and soaking it, then boil it with alkali, and it forms a tofu-like food after cooling. It can be eaten cold or cooked. It tastes smooth and refreshing, usually with various seasonings and sauces, such as chili oil, vinegar, scallions, etc.
Recommended Restaurant: There are many small shops selling rice tofu in Furong Town. Among them, “Liu Xiaoqing Rice Tofu Shop” is quite famous, but some tourists think that the rice tofu in other small shops is also delicious, so you can try several.
