Hunan Phoenix, where is the border town?

Most people's ideas about Phoenix Enlightenment probably come from the Border Town written by Mr. Shen Congwen.

This ancient Fenghuang city, which was built in the 43rd year of Qing Emperor Kangxi (174), is located in the southwest of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province. It is known as "Pingyao in the north and Phoenix in the south" and praised by New Zealand writer rewi alley as the most beautiful town in China.

Shen Congwen gave all the good things to the border town where he was born. The story about a city, a river, a boat, a pair of grandsons and a period of affection is embedded in this quaint and beautiful ancient city.

On the way to Phoenix, I imagined the Phoenix in my heart all the way, and it should be like a border town, with a picturesque river, people walking on smooth bluestone roads, people growing up in exquisite wooden diaojiao buildings, kind and simple, working and sleeping like the sun and the moon, and living an idyllic life!

Although I knew that the ancient city would lose its original color under the impetus of modern tourism, I didn't expect it to be so completely unrecognizable. Phoenix is still the border town, and Cuicui is no longer the Cuicui of that year.

By bus from Zhangjiajie, my best friend and I bumped all the way for 2 hours and arrived at Jishou Bus Terminal.

This urban area is not much different from other four-lane small towns, with crowded streets and messy stalls and shops.

Low-rise and even dilapidated small buildings are densely arranged on both sides of the narrow road. There is no vegetation, and there is no aura of the water town written by Shen Congwen. Instead, the dust all over the sky is mixed with disgusting car exhaust.

As soon as we got off the bus, local scalpers swarmed in. A group of sophisticated middle-aged men and women held crooked phoenix signs and said with this local accent: Go to the ancient city, go to the ancient city!

I don't ask your intention, so I give directions to an old van not far away, for fear that anyone's business will be lost.

My friend and I dragged our suitcases all the way along the uneven concrete road and walked along the direction of the navigator, but we were wondering in our hearts, is this remote and backward small town the Phoenix in our dreams?

After about 1 minutes of hard walking, following the sound of water, this ancient town submerged in modern towns and villages emerged before our eyes.

After putting down the luggage, it is already a phoenix at night, and the lights are on, changing into a gorgeous face.

Driven by the lights, in a short time, all the streets in the town have rubbed their shoulders and wiped their feet. People from different places keep pouring into this splendid ancient city.

Shuttling through the dense crowd, the wooden stilts and Ming and Qing buildings on both sides of the Qingshiban Road are still well preserved, but behind the wooden doors, they are replaced by businesses, who are changing their patterns to attract tourists.

At the entrance of the national musical instrument store, the boss with sharp brother style performed tambourines with folk songs.

Postcard shops are full of tourists' notes and exquisite business cards in hand-painted style, and clothing and jewelry of the same national style are hung in clothing stores.

And people in the street, without exception, are wearing wreaths, sun hats or scarves with gorgeous ethnic customs.

The same recipe has such a strong familiar smell that I can't tell whether I am in Dali, Lijiang or West Street in Guilin.

It makes me feel boring to see similar scenes in major scenic spots all over the country.

Excessive commercialization makes the beautiful diaojiao building unable to tell the past history, and she is only a shell. Driven by commercial interests, this may be inevitable, but it should not be all.

What happened later made me deeply sad.

On the street of Qingshiban Road, I met an artist who was performing in the street. His singing moved me and I stopped.

I don't know when it was. A little sister cat was behind us, watching us fascinated, and coldly indicated that we should pay for listening to the song!

I'm surprised that people are becoming snobbish under the cloak of business. The spirit of generosity and simplicity in the border town is gone.

Disappointed, we came to Tuojiang River. The night in the ancient city is beautiful, and the banks of Tuojiang River are even more brightly lit. Under the diaojiao building, restaurants can be seen everywhere for supper and colorful bars.

The phoenix with dim lights, like a huge drunken place, satisfies the frustrated people's desire to vent.

The deafening noise came from bars with different folk songs, which made me numb.

"three lost" people from all over the world (frustrated, lovelorn and abnormal) crowded into this ancient city. I saw them waving their bodies to the music, constantly getting drunk and partying, and enjoying the pleasure brought by this short escape at will.

And all kinds of slogans on the roadside, "Have an affair, I have wine, do you have a story, life is not worth it", seem to be urging people to be happy when they are proud of life.

This drunken atmosphere makes me uneasy. Apart from bars, we have nowhere to live, so we have to deliberately escape the noise, choose a quiet pub in a quiet alley, order beer and listen to folk songs quietly.

The little brother of the lead singer is holding a guitar. His tone is rich, and his songs are full of vicissitudes and stories. If it weren't for his young face, I would have mistakenly thought that this is a wandering wanderer who found his home here.

He said that the drummer next to him was a friend and had been in Phoenix for 1 years.

Today's Phoenix is no longer what it was 1 years ago. At that time, the ancient city was not fully commercialized. The diaojiao building on the beautiful Tuojiang River still lived in Xiangxi. They still live a simple life, and on the one hand, the soil and water have created their optimistic, simple and kind personality.

I don't know when hotels, inns, bars and restaurants have sprung up and spread to every corner of the ancient city, but what Phoenix lost can only stay in his memory and become the story of the next song.

The only shadow of the border town was met in the morning when we left Phoenix, and we got up early specially. The phoenix in the early morning has not been invaded by tourists.

The quiet ancient city has a quiet look. The simple outlines of diaojiao building and pavilions have also become bright, and the beauty of this ancient town has been gradually discovered.

The quiet Tuojiang River reflects the brown wooden diaojiao building, and the waterwheel keeps turning. On the bank of Yangliuyiyi, you can also see snacks bought by local people. There are occasional ferries floating on the clear river. I watched the boats on the shore and merged into the background of Xiangxi water town.

I walked silently along the Tuojiang River.

Fortunately, Phoenix has kept the original building, but unfortunately it has lost its original aura. Generations of people living under this beautiful land have been replaced and taken away the essence.

In my mind, the border town no longer belongs anywhere, it is just a paradise!

Tickets: The ancient city of Phoenix does not need tickets, but the eight scenic spots of Phoenix need tickets, which can be purchased separately or in packages.

Accommodation: There are many inns in Fenghuang Ancient City. It is recommended to stay in the lower reaches of the ancient city or in the urban area. It is quiet, and the ancient city is very busy at night, which will affect the rest. If you are staying in an inn in the ancient city, you must ask for a clear seat. It is best to let the shopkeeper come out to lead the way. Many inns in the ancient city are narrow paths, and it is difficult to find a place without guidance.

Basically, every inn will give away a hand-painted map of the ancient city, which is very practical.

Gourmet: There are many gourmet restaurants in Fenghuang Ancient City, and the prices are not cheap. Most of them are restaurants opened by foreigners. It is suggested that you can choose restaurants outside the ancient city.

As for bars, try to choose bars with higher security. Too many people may not be a good thing. The price of bars on both sides of the Tuojiang River will be much higher. If it is not for the pursuit of excitement, you can go to the alley inside the ancient city. There are some unpopular small bars, which are very quiet and have a good atmosphere.

Transportation: The ancient city of Fenghuang can be visited on foot, and it takes about 1-2 hours to visit the whole ancient city. Because most of the streets are bluestone roads, it is recommended to wear cloth shoes.