Fenghuang
Fenghuang are mythological birds featuring in traditions throughout the Sinosphere.
Fenghuang are understood to reign over all other birds: males and females were originally termed feng and huang respectively, but a gender distinction is typically no longer made, and fenghuang are generally considered a feminine entity to be paired with the traditionally masculine Chinese dragon.
Getting to Fenghuang
The easiest way to reach Fenghuang is by high-speed train. Before the completion of the new railway line in 2021, most visitors arrived by car or bus from Jishou. An expressway opened in 2012, cutting travel time from Jishou from 70 minutes to about 30 minutes. Expect buses and roads to be crowded on weekends and holidays, however.
- 01Fenghuanggucheng Railway Station
Worth seeing
Most of Fenghuang's sites can be visited with a "through ticket" (通票). There are three versions. The first includes the Yang Family Ancestral Hall, East Gate Tower, the upper gallery of the Hong Bridge, and a few other smaller attractions for ¥98. The second ticket includes the first ticket plus the Gucheng Museum and Wanshou temple, costs ¥148, and is valid for 2 days.
- 01East Gate Tower
- 02Yang Family Ancestral Hall
- 03Hong Bridge
Free; upper gallery included in through ticket.
- 04Former Home of Shen Congwen
- 05Wanshou Temple
- 06Gucheng Museum
Things to do
The Southern Great Wall (南方长城) is about 15 km west of the city (entrance coordinates: 27.9312N,109.4665E). While it is nearly completely restored it still makes for a strenuous hike with beautiful viewpoints of rice terraces and the surrounding countryside.
Where to eat
At night the streets in Fenghuang's old town are full of street food vendors, serving grilled meats, dumplings, fried potatoes, flat breads and grilled vegetables. There are many restaurants that specialize in Hot Pot.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0), Wikimedia Commons.