Fenghuang Overview

Fenghuang is a county in Huaihua City, Hunan Province. In Chinese, Fenghuang is a word referring to “phoenix”. It is a well-known ancient town in the world for its fantastic landscapes and the mysterious ancient town culture. It has an exceptionally well-preserved ancient town that harbors unique ethnic languages, customs, arts as well as many distinctive architectural remains of Ming and Qing styles.

Fenghuang county, covers an area of 1783 sq KM, with population of 367000, with many ethincs such as Miao, Tujia, Han, Hui people etc. It boasts a wealth of cultural accumulation of Hubei and Wushan areas due to its location between the 2 different cultural areas of southwest China's ethnic minorities and east China's Chu and Han groups. Fenghuang town is a wonderful example of what villages were like prior to the onset of modernization. Fenghuang is so picturesque that it is a very popular excursion for Chinese artists to be there for picturing, painting, filming etc.

Claimed to be one of the two most beautiful towns in China, Feng Huang Cheng sets an example of what villages were like before the start of modernization. In the town dozens of lanes are paved with stones that run between the wooden houses built on stilts. Generations of local people have stepped on the lanes and worn them down bit by bit. Mist envelopes the town in the early morning or after a rain, creating a charming picturesque scene of Southwest China.

Being endowed with beautiful scenery, Fenghuang(Phoenix) Ancient City is also a famous historic and cultural city. From time immemorial, lots of virtuous and outstanding personages have been cultivated here. Among them is the great literary master Shen Congwen (1902-1988), who ever depicted in his works an incomparably beautiful world about the west of Hunan Province. It is based on Fenghuang(Phoenix) Ancient City that this beautiful world was described. His works have been translated into many foreign languages, by virtue of which large quantities of readers around the world are deeply attracted by the elegant scenery and rustic folkway described in the works.

Area Code: 0743

Zip Code: 416200

Geography: Located at south Xiangxi Automomous Prefecture of Hunan Province, Fenghuang County is surrounded by green mountains with Tuojiang River running through its center, to Jishou 53Km, Huaihua 92KM, Zhangjiajie 280KM.

Population: The ethnic Miao people have a recorded history of at least 5,000 years.  Most of the Miao people live in highlands.  Legend goes that the ancestors of the Miao people originally lived in plains which were richer in resources.  Due to tribal conflicts, they retreated to these high hills and rebuilt their homes here. This ethnic group has been a war-stricken and pain-stricken people.  Their miserable history has helped shape the Miao characters of perseverance, cautiousness, and optimism.