If you want to witness the real Xiangxi customs, you have to take a trip to Phoenix (also known as Tuojiang Town). Phoenix is the county seat of Fenghuang County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. It is built next to Tuojiang River, and the wooden houses with hanging feet are covered with hillsides. This is the hometown of Shen Congwen, a literary master, who once described its simple and charming style in Border Town. Phoenix Eight Wonders: 1. The food market by the Tuojiang River and the women who pound clothes by the river. 2. Diaojiao Building in Shawan. 3. The outdoor dining table beside the Tuojiang River outside the North Gate. 4. Educated Shen Congwen and Wenchangge Primary School in Huang Yongyu. 5. Huangsiqiao Ancient City. 6. Confucian Temple, Sanwang Temple, Wuhou Temple, Wenchang Pavilion and Bijia City, which can be found by looking up the map. 7. Huang Yongyu's barbershop with inscription, the master has the unique skill of massage, specializing in stiff neck. 8. The ancient stage is a gathering place for local painters. Accommodation: There are many inns in the ancient city. You can stay at will, and the prices are basically between 15 yuan and 3 yuan. However, most backpackers who come to Phoenix choose a small family hotel located at the corner of the Tuojiang River, which has a good perspective, a wide field of vision and a low price, usually 15-2 yuan per bed, depending on how many people you sleep in. Moreover, most of these hotels have good sanitation, and the boss himself is a good tour guide, who will tell you about the ancient villages in mountain villages that you don't know, and feel very convenient to live in. Gourmet: There are many famous specialties, such as duck in blood, fish in sour soup, fried meat with boletus, bean curd soup with sour cabbage, fried meat with bamboo shoots, fried bracken with bacon, spicy shredded eel, fried bacon and spicy diced chicken. The taste of wild vegetables is also very good, and the dishes are mainly sour and spicy, which makes people appetite. Shopping: Walking in Qingqing Shiban Street, the ancient city of Fenghuang, people are dazzled by all kinds of special products and ethnic handicrafts. Brocade, batik, tie-dyeing and silver ornaments here are unique in workmanship, with strong local characteristics and high artistic value. There are also some folk arts and crafts, such as folk paper-cutting (there is an old paper-cutting artist next to Hongqiao), and the price is determined according to the complexity of the pattern (2 yuan, 3 yuan, 5 yuan, etc.). Woven ribbon, narrow mechanical woven 5-7 yuan, hand woven 15-2 yuan; Wide mechanical weaving 1-15 yuan, hand-woven 25-4 yuan. Visiting the ancient city seems to have entered the palace of art, not only the antique folk architecture and unique folk customs, but also the national crafts with strong local characteristics and high appreciation value, which makes people have to sigh the magic of this land. Transportation: To get to Phoenix, you can go to Jishou or Huaihua first, and then transfer there. There are direct buses to Jishou and Huaihua from Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai. It takes about 4 hours from Huaihua to Fenghuang Ancient City, and the long-distance ticket from 2 yuan to 25 yuan; From Jishou to Fenghuang, there is a bus for 8 yuan/person in 1 minutes, and it is best to charter four or five people, with an average of about 1 yuan per person, which takes an hour by car. There are many buses and buses in Fenghuang County, so there is no need to worry about waiting for the bus here, and the departure time is short. Of course, it's best to take CMB, which is cheap and fast. There are also bicycles for rent at the street corner, 15 yuan/Day. But in the county, walking is the best choice, and walking around for an hour is enough. On July 1st, 23, "rickshaws" (motor tricycles, like those in 1 yuan) have been banned by the government, and taxis have been replaced, starting at 15km in 2 yuan. There is also a bus (sightseeing bus) line. (Information provided by local Korean workers in Phoenix). When you come back, you can buy tickets at various booking points in Fenghuang County. There are many booking points here. There is a train ticket booking office on the left at the entrance of Fenghuang Bus Station, where you can sell train tickets to Jishou and Huaihua. However, it is suggested that we should not go to Phoenix first, but buy a ticket for Tongren-Alaying, about 12 yuan. It takes about 6 minutes to drive to see the ancient city of Huangsiqiao, then go to the South Great Wall and then to Phoenix, so as to avoid going back and save time. The fare from Nanchang to Fenghuang is 3 yuan/person, which takes about 3 minutes. On April 28th, 23, Zhangjiajie, a world natural heritage, and Fenghuang, a national historical and cultural city, opened a tourist bus. Since then, visitors from Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang tourist areas can visit each other directly by car.

Introduction to Fenghuang Ancient City

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Fenghuang was the "land of Miao and Man in Five Rivers" and belonged to the territory of Chu State. In the long evolution of the times, Fenghuang once belonged to different counties and counties, and its name changed many times. It was not until 1957 that it was finally designated as Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.

Phoenix is rich in natural resources, with infinite scenery of mountains, waters and caves. Nanhuashan National Forest Park, with an area of more than 3, mu, has a beautiful ecological environment and a forest coverage area of over 98%. There are more than 1 kinds of exotic animals and plants, which are lush and fragrant everywhere. Qiliang Cave, known as the second grotto in China, combines the characteristics of seclusion, strangeness, beauty and preciseness in a 12-kilometer-long cave, which is mysterious and fascinating. Tunliang Mountain Scenic Area, with its beautiful scenery, has a variety of mountains and waterfalls. Scenic spots decorate the fantastic land of Phoenix, adding infinite charm to Phoenix.

Phoenix has beautiful mountains and rivers, and it is even more outstanding. According to incomplete statistics, in a short period of 36 years from the 2th year of Daoguang reign in Qing Dynasty (184) to the first year of Guangxu reign in Qing Dynasty (1875), there emerged 2 prefects, 21 commanders, 43 lieutenants, 31 generals, 73 guerrillas and other officers with more than three grades. In the Republic of China, Phoenix had 7 lieutenant generals and 27 major generals. Since the present age, Phoenix has been full of talented people, and a number of generals, senior leading cadres, writers, painters and artists have emerged. Especially with the appearance of Xiong Xiling, the first elected cabinet prime minister, politician, philanthropist and educator in the Republic of China, Shen Congwen, a famous writer and historian, and Huang Yongyu, a famous painter, Phoenix is famous not only in China, but also in the world.

Huangshan City is close to Tuojiang River, surrounded by mountains, and the pass is magnificent. The mountains here are not high and beautiful, the water is not deep and clear, the peaks and ridges rub against each other, the rivers and streams linger, the green river winds through the ancient city wall, and the green foothills of Nanhua reflect the heart of the river. Fishing boats and cruise ships in the river count, drums and bells ring in the mountains, and the diaojiao building on the river is full of light smoke, which can be described as the unity of nature and man.

The original Chu witch culture, unique Phoenix dialect, unique Miao costumes, bitter and salty eating habits, primitive drama, living fossil Nuo Tang opera, local flavor full of Yang opera, tea lamp with earthy fragrance, and fresh and ancient folk crafts such as glass blowing painting, batik, paper binding and Miao silver ornaments constitute the unique national folk customs of Phoenix.

There are 68 ancient buildings with cultural relics, 116 ancient sites and more than 12 characteristic residential buildings in Ming and Qing Dynasties in Fenghuang Ancient City. There are more than 2 ancient stone streets in Ming and Qing Dynasties. The well-preserved Huangsiqiao ancient city in the old county of Tang Dynasty is one of the most well-preserved stone cities in China. The Great Wall in the south of China, which was built in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, has become the focus of international and domestic attention.