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Fenghuang Travel Tips
Fenghuang Ancient Town is located in the southwest of Hunan Province. It borders Songtao County and Tongren County of Guizhou Province in the west. Fenghuang in Chinese is for “phoenix”—a mythical bird of good omen. Fenghuang is so called as legend has it that the birds flew over the town and found it so beautiful that they were reluctant to leave. Old Town is regarded as one of the two most beautiful towns in China. This ancient town has a history of 1,300 years and it has a number of old gardens as well as distinctive residential buildings, elegant bridges and mysterious towers and pagodas.
Now there is no airport or railway station in the town, so the best way to travel to Fenghuang is first to go to Zhangjiajie Lotus Airport, Guizhou Tongren Airport, or Jishou Railway Station, Huaihua Railway Station, and then proceed to Fenghuang via bus. The best time to go to Fenghuang is March and November. In the early spring and autumn, the scenery around the Ancient Town is excellent and tourists are not many. It is strongly advised to avoid May Day holidays and National Day Golden Week.
Tourist attractions in Fenghuang Ancient Town include suspended houses (wooden houses built on stilts), Flagstone Street, the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty, and former residential house of a notable writer Shen Congwen. The Miao ethnic minority is predominantly settled here and a visit to a Miao village is a must when going to Fenghuang Ancient Town. The Miao women have a natural beauty. They love to dress in their traditional blue garments. They love also their silver jewellery especially during festivals. Visitors will find a large array of hand-made items of silver ornaments for sale in the local shops.Fenghuang has plenty of hotels and family hostels. Hotels built along the river offer a good river view. During the Golden Week, you have to book in advance and the price is more expensive than usual.
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