A beautifully preserved riverside town in southwest Hunan, Fenghuang (凤凰县 Fènghuáng Xiàn), or "Phoenix Town," is home to a large number of Tujia and Miao minorities, which is reflected in both the architecture and the local customs. The old town lies at the foot of a mountain spread across the two banks of the Tuo River (沱江 Tuó Jiāng). The river can be crossed via a number of small stone and wood bridges or by hopping across twin rows of stepping stones.

Billed as "China's most beautiful town," Fenghuang is one of the domestic tourist industry's picture postcard destinations, but western visitors expecting a waterside idyll should be prepared for something rather different, particularly if arriving by night. Colorful lights adorn every rooftop and hilltop pagodas shout their presence with flashing lasers while music blasts out from riverside bars. It's a bit of a circus but you can escape by heading further downriver to a quieter stretch of the town. Once you've gotten over the shock, take a stroll back through the lively streets past colorful stalls and an array of fascinating foodstuffs (dried pigs heads, live turtles and pheasants destined for the pot, sticky hand-pulled honey-based candies) then head to the top floor of a riverside restaurant, order a beer and take it all in from above.

By day, things are considerably calmer and you can explore the town's wealth of stilt houses, crumbling temples, ancient city walls and charming back alleys. While the usual clutter of tourist knick-knacks line the pavements, there's still some evidence that life continues as per usual for the local population, with river-washed laundry hanging from windowsills and doorways alongside cured meat and fish, and reams of river weed strung out to dry. It may be touristy but it's undeniably pretty. Make sure your camera batteries are well charged—you'll need them.

There's a through ticket available that gets you into most of the main sites around the town including the Yang Family Ancestral Hall (杨家祠堂 Yáng Jiā Cítáng), the East Gate Tower (东门城楼 Dōngmén Chénglóu) and the Former Home of Xiong Xiling (熊希龄故居 Xióng Xīlíng Gùjū)；though much of Fenghuang's appeal lies in what can be enjoyed for free: roaming the labrynthine lanes and river banks, lingering on the mountain views, admiring stilt house perched above the water, walking the wonderful covered Hong Bridge (虹桥 Hóng Qiáo) and exploring remaining fragments of the city walls.

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