CN flag

Hunan Ancient Towns

ChinaAsia
Explore Hunan Ancient Towns on Nearaway

Local Greeting

你好 (Nǐ hǎo); Xiang (Hunanese) dialect widely spoken alongside Mandarin

How locals say hello in Hunan Ancient Towns

Best Time to Visit

April–June (waterfalls at full flow, green terraces) or September–October (harvest colours, mist in the river valleys)

Must Eat

Mao's red braised pork (毛氏红烧肉) — Mao Zedong was Hunanese and this rich fatty pork dish is the province's most famousStinky tofu (臭豆腐 Changsha style) — fermented, deep-fried, served with chilli sauceDong'an chicken (东安鸡) — vinegar and chilli-poached chicken from YongzhouHunan spicy beef jerky (湖南牛肉干)Rice noodles with pickled vegetables (米粉)

Local Tip

Furong Ancient Town is built around a natural 60-metre waterfall that pours directly through the middle of the village — the main street overlooks the falls, and at night the illuminated mist creates an otherworldly atmosphere. Arrive by taking the river boat from Wangcun, which approaches the town from below and gives the most dramatic reveal of the 'hanging town' perched on the cliff.

Origin Story

Ancient
📅 Founded Furong Town (Wangcun): established Ming dynasty; Lingling: 221 BC (Qin dynasty county)Originally Wangcun (王村 — King's Village); Lingling (零陵 — ancient administrative name)By Tujia ethnic settlers at Wangcun; Qin dynasty administration at Lingling

The Xiangxi region of western Hunan has been inhabited by Tujia and Miao peoples for thousands of years, with the high gorge terrain providing natural protection from Han Chinese expansion. Wangcun (later renamed Furong Town) grew as a commercial hub where boat traffic from the You River met the mountain trade routes, with merchants building stone-paved streets and wooden houses directly against the cliff faces through which waterfalls pour. Lingling is one of China's oldest administrative units, established in 221 BC immediately after the Qin unification — its name appears in records as a southern outpost of the newly unified empire. The area's isolation preserved Tujia language, music (especially the hand drum and gong tradition), and architecture through China's turbulent 20th century. Both towns gained national heritage protection in the 2000s as examples of pre-industrial vernacular architecture.

Fun Fact

Furong Ancient Town (芙蓉镇) became famous across China when director Xie Jin filmed his acclaimed 1986 movie there — the film was so popular that the real town of Wangcun was officially renamed Furong Town. Lingling (零陵) in Yongzhou is one of China's oldest counties, established in 221 BC, and the source of the name 'Ling' in the phrase 'Guilin' (桂林).

Cultural Dos

  • ✓Arrive at Furong Town by river boat from Wangcun for the iconic 'hanging waterfall' approach
  • ✓Walk the old town at night when the lantern reflections animate the wet cobblestones
  • ✓Try the local tofu flower (豆腐花) sold by street vendors at the base of the waterfall

Cultural Don'ts

  • ✕Visit Furong Town without walking beyond the main tourist street — the Tujia residential lanes above and below are the real town
  • ✕Forget an umbrella — the permanent waterfall mist keeps the town damp year-round
  • ✕Skip Lingling's ancient Wumu ancient well area — it predates the tourist infrastructure and remains largely unchanged

Explore More Cities

All Asia cities →
JP flagTokyoIN flagMumbaiKR flagSeoulSG flagSingaporeAE flagDubaiJP flagKyotoTH flagBangkokHK flagHong KongTW flagTaipeiJP flagOsakaVN flagHo Chi Minh CityJP flagNagano

Nearaway.in — A window to every place on Earth

Open the Globe·Journeys·About