Fenghuang: Through The Lens

There are many fascinating ancient towns throughout China, and Fenghuang is one of the best. Once the town that separated the Han civilisations and the Mia, Tujia and Dong minorities of the southwest mountains, Fenghuang is now a beautiful riverside settlement and popular tourist spot in Hunan Province. It is easily accessible from many towns and cities, such as Zhangjiajie which is where we took the bus from. You can also get there from Tongren in Guizhou, and Huaihua in Hunan, and flying to the nearby Tongren aurport is also an option. The locals built intricate temples, alleyways and bridges throughout Fenghuang, otherwise known as Ancient Phoenix Town, so it is well worth staying the night to experience all this sleepy riverside town has to offer.

A local seller starts off the day well

I’d recommend waking up early to walk around the town before the tourists arrive. The riverside stilt buildings are incredible, and if you’re lucky you can watch the local garbage men paddle their boats out and clean the river before the day begins. Wander through the streets and experience the locals opening their stores and restaurants and the women setting up their stalls to sell flowers to the crowds of tourists soon to arrive. The Wanming Pagoda is well worth a visit too, as is the Hong Bridge - both of which make for great photography spots at night.

Cleaning the banks of the river before the tourists arrive

As the town gets busier, I’d recommend grabbing something to eat and doing a spot of people watching. Try some of the local dishes if you are feeling adventurous, including the pickled fish and spicy tofu soup. And, of course, don’t forget the shaokao street food.

A rainy morning in Fenghuang

After Fenghuang, take the bus to Zhangjiajie and see all that the Avatar Mountains have to offer. It’s a location not to be missed!