Fenghuang Ancient Town: Riverfront and Heritage Stops
Walk the Tuojiang riverfront and the Huilong Pavilion stilt houses, add Chaoyang Palace, and plan a separate trip to Qiliang Cave.
Photo: 大 董 / Pexels
Contents
Fenghuang Ancient Town sits on the Tuojiang River in the southwest of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan.[1] Walk the riverfront for stilt-house architecture, add Chaoyang Palace for a historic temple stop, or set aside separate time for Qiliang Cave north of town.
Start with the Tuojiang riverfront
The stilt houses cluster around Huilong Pavilion in the southeast of the old town: a row about 240 metres long, built in the Qing Dynasty and the early Republic with Miao architectural features. They face an old road at the front and hang over the Tuojiang at the back, and more than ten households still live there.[1] A ride in a black-awning boat takes you past Tujia stilt houses and under Hongqiao bridge, with Wanshou Palace, Wanming Pagoda and Duocui Tower along the bank.[2]
Things to Do
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Add a heritage stop or a separate cave outing
Chaoyang Palace, also called Chen Ancestral Temple, is the most complete modern pseudo-classical building in the old town, with famous couplets on both sides of its old stage and finely made eaves, tiles and cornices.[1] Wanshou Palace now houses the Huang Yongyu Art Museum, which shows works by the painter born in Fenghuang, and the former home of the writer Shen Congwen, built in 1866 at 10 Zhongying Street, is a national key heritage site.[2]
Qiliang Cave is a different kind of outing. It lies north of town, a carbonate cave with an entrance more than 50 metres high and 20 metres wide, a gentle stream running through it and colored lights on the stalagmites.[1] Allow separate travel and visit time rather than fitting it into a short old-town walk.
Arrive by rail through Fenghuang Gucheng
Take the Zhangjiajie-Jishou-Huaihua high-speed railway to Fenghuang Gucheng station, 9.6 km from the old town and about 20 minutes by road. A shuttle bus meets the trains every 15 minutes from 07:00 to 22:00, and a maglev sightseeing train runs to the old town every 15 minutes from 09:00 to 21:00. By car, the G56 expressway exit is 4.2 km from the old town, and Tongren Fenghuang Airport is 36.3 km away, about 50 minutes by road.[3]
Half a day covers the riverfront and one heritage stop; add a separate block if Qiliang Cave is on your plan. The tourist area's consultation line is 0743-3221111.[3] See the Fenghuang Ancient Town Tourist Area website for more. For wider route ideas, see our China travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Hunan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism: Ancient Town of Fenghuang. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [2] Fenghuang Ancient Town Tourist Area, via its official visitor website: 凤凰古城旅游区官网. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
- [3] Fenghuang Ancient Town Tourist Area, via its official visitor website: 古城简介 and 交通指引. Retrieved October 22, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is in the southwest of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan, on the Tuojiang River.
Around Huilong Pavilion in the southeast of the old town. The row is about 240 metres long, was built in the Qing Dynasty and the early Republic, and hangs over the Tuojiang.
It is also called Chen Ancestral Temple, the most complete modern pseudo-classical building in the old town. Look for the famous couplets beside the old stage and the finely made eaves, tiles and cornices.
No. Qiliang Cave lies north of the town and has an entrance more than 50 metres high and 20 metres wide, with a stream running through it. Treat it as a separate outing.
Fenghuang Gucheng station on the Zhangjiajie-Jishou-Huaihua high-speed railway, 9.6 km from the old town. A shuttle bus runs every 15 minutes from 07:00 to 22:00, and a maglev sightseeing train every 15 minutes from 09:00 to 21:00.
Half a day covers the riverfront and one heritage stop. Add separate time for Qiliang Cave north of town.
Yes. A black-awning boat takes you past Tujia stilt houses and under Hongqiao bridge, with Wanshou Palace, Wanming Pagoda and Duocui Tower along the bank.
