Furong Town (Hibiscus Town)

Tujia Stilt Town Built Above A Waterfall On The You River · Xiangxi, Hunan

A Tujia town built on a ledge above a waterfall in the hills of western Hunan, where the You River drops about sixty metres through the middle of the settlement and stilt houses hang over the edge of the gorge. The town is old - a Tujia chieftain's seat for centuries, with a stone-flagged main street, a Ming-era Xisheng Hall and copper pillars cast in the tenth century recording the local rulers' submission to the emperor - but it took its present name from a film: Xie Jin's 1986 Hibiscus Town was shot here, and the rice tofu stall run by the heroine still trades under her name, selling the same cold jelly to visitors. The waterfall is the reason most people come, and it is lit after dark, when the stilt houses along its lip glow above the falling water. Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang are both within reach, and since 2021 the town has had its own high-speed station a couple of kilometres away, which has changed it from a detour into an easy stop.

Furong Town, Yongshun County, Xiangxi, Xiangxi, Hunan, China

Town open long hours, roughly 7:30 until late evening (sources vary); the waterfall is lit after dark, and ticketed halls keep daytime hours (check).

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