Furong Ancient Town: The Magical Waterfall Village of Hunan, China
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A short bus ride away from Zhangjiajie you’ll find a beautiful little village that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a painting.

Welcome to the Furong Ancient Town.

Waterfalls? Caves? Traditional Chinese architecture? How about all three in the same scene? Furong Ancient Town, located in the northwestern part of Hunan Province, is undoubtedly one of China’s most unique historical towns. For whatever reason, though, it’s often overlooked by tourists – both international and domestic.

And that’s all the more reason to come see Furong’s fairytale-like scenery for yourself.

Formerly known as Wangcun, the town has been inhabited for thousands of years. Its population is largely comprised of Tujia people, China’s eighth largest ethnic minority. As such, a visit to Furong is also a great opportunity to learn about Tujia customs, architecture and folk beliefs.


Furong Ancient Town is more than 2000 years old and home to the Tujia minority people. Located in the Hunan Province between the Avatar Mountains in Zhangjiajie and the Ancient Phoenix Village of Fenghuang, Furong is one of those villages in China that keeps the charm of older times and remains a largely unknown treasure.

Once you get a glimpse of the waterfalls and beautiful mountain scenery you’ll wonder why it’s not more popular!

Spend the night here if you can! It’s stunning at night and there are lots of hotels nearby the waterfalls.
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Halfway between the popular tourist destinations of Fenghuang County and Zhangjiajie in central China's Hunan Province lies a small town that has been standing there for over 2,000 years.

People usually call "an ancient town hanging on the waterfall."

Furong Town is also known as Hibiscus Town. As its nickname suggests, the most impressive sight here is the 40-meter-wide and 60-meter-high waterfall as well as the ancient buildings constructed above the cliff, a scene rarely seen in the cities. Visitors can even hear the soothing waterfall sound from 10 miles away.
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Location: Yongshun County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (western part of Hunan province)
Best season to visit Furong Ancient Town: all year round
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Formerly known as Wang Village, Furong Ancient Town has a history of more than 2,000 years. It is called the "Ancient Town Hanging on the Waterfall" because of the magnificent waterfall passing through the town. The movie Hibiscus Town, starring well-known actress Liu Xiaoqing and actor Jiang Wen, was shot here.

Furong Ancient Town is not only a place with a long history, but also a tourist resort that combines natural scenery with primitive ethnic customs. Surrounded by green mountains and clear water, the town is full of winding alleys, the Tujia stilted wooden houses, and streets paved with flagstones, which reflect simple folk customs of the local Tujia people.
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Furong Waterfall:
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the waterfall is the premier natural beauty and a must-see in Furong Ancient Town. Furong town is surrounded by water on three sides, the magnificent waterfall passes through the town. This is the largest and most spectacular waterfall in western Hunan province, with a height of 60 meters and a width of 40 meters. The two levels of water pour down from cliff, and the momentum is quite huge.

The two-thousand-year old ancient town is also an attraction that integrates natural scenery with primitive simplicity. In addition, it is the portal to the Mengdong River Scenic Area, a charming place of karst landforms.

As is described in the novel ‘Furong Town’, by Chen Yunhe, the pack basket is swinging on the back of the girl who speaks a Xiangxi dialect, and the life in the Mengdong River Scenic Area has many tales to tell. Located deeply in the mountains and waters, zigzag lanes can be even found in the downtown area.

Houses built on stilts are on the waterside. Green flagstones pave the five-mile street. Tourists find the place unforgettable.

At the entrance of the waterfall, there is a rock cave – the relic site of early Tujia people who arrived here to escape the war. Though the cave is now much eroded by water, visitors are still amazed by how big the cave was to hold thousands of people back then.
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WHO ARE THE TUJIA?
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The Tujia, China’s eighth largest ethnic minority, is a group consisting of around 8 million people. They can be found in Hunan as well as neighboring provinces like Hubei and Guizhou.

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0:00 Intro
1:28 Night Walk In The Mystery Town
26:38 Night Walk Around The Waterfall
33:08 Daytime moments
40:41 Folk Song And Dance Show
58:41 Morning time. Leaving the town by train
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