凤凰古城

Why this place

Fenghuang is a Miao and Tujia river town of stilted wooden houses built out over the water, with arched bridges, a walled old town and a river that runs green through the middle of it. It was a garrison town on the Miao frontier, and its architecture is the best surviving example of the type.

What to see

• The Tuo River and the stilt houses (diaojiaolou) along both banks
• The Rainbow Bridge and the other covered bridges, and the old town wall
• The Shen Congwen residence — the writer who made the town famous
• The Miao villages of Dehang and the Southern Great Wall nearby
• The town lit up at night, reflected in the river

What to eat

• Xiangxi Miao and Tujia food: cured pork, sour fish and blood tofu
• Ginger sugar and the local 'sour soup' river fish

How to plan

Two nights inside the old town, plus a day in a Miao village.

Best time

April–June and September–November

Practical tips

• Stay inside the old town for the early morning — it is quiet and the river steams; by mid-morning it is packed