Most people’s first impressions of Fenghuang come from the famous writer Shen Congwen’s masterpiece “The Border Town”
. In his works, Fenghuang is a secluded ancient town with beautiful scenery, and in reality, is reputed as the most beautiful town in China.
Fenghuang has a time-honored history and profound culture. It is situated in the southwest of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan Province, and is home to the Miao ethnic group. In Fenghuang Ancient Town, there is a wooden bridge across the Tuojiang River, which serves as a route out of the town since ancient times. Old streets, stilted buildings along the Tuojiang River, ancient buildings and fascinating Miao customs make up the unique Xiangxi style of Fenghuang Ancient Town.
The ancient town is rich in history and culture. As early as 2001, Fenghuang was selected as a national historical and cultural city. It has 106 cultural relic protection sites at or above the county level, including two at the national level and 16 at the provincial level; 116 ancient sites, four historical and cultural villages and 22 Chinese traditional villages.
Fenghuang is home to many famous people, such as Zheng Guohong, a national hero, and Shen Congwen, a master of literature.
Fenghuang has two historical and cultural blocks of Ancient Town and Shawan. The ancient town block has 16 cultural relic protection sites, 47 historical buildings, an immovable cultural heritage, many former residences of celebrities, temples, ancestral halls and ancient academies, as well as traditional residences, which are the essence of the ancient town.
The Shawan block is located on the natural bend of the Tuojiang River, where you’ll find the rainbow-shaped bridge, Wanming Tower, Xiachang Pavilion, Huilong Pavilion, stilted buildings and many symbolic cultural relics. The block has 10 cultural relic protection sites and 12 historical buildings.
Outside Fenghuang County, there is the little-known Great Wall. Built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it is 190 kilometers long, 3 meters high and 2 meters wide, and is the only Great Wall in South China. It is one of the most important ancient buildings in Chinese history. It divided the region inhabited primarily by the Miao people, so it embodies the politics, economics, military and culture of the time, providing historical materials for studying policies on ethnic minorities during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
