Travel in Fenghuang Ancient Town, visitors must see Tuojiang River and have the wonderful trip of Tuojiang River Cruise which is one of the main activities for tourists in Fenghuang Ancient Town. Boarding the boat at the North Gate Wharf, going down the river, reach the Wanming Tower after pass through under the ancient Rainbow Bridge,  It takes about 20 minutes riding boat.

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What to see?
As the longgest river and the mother river of Fenghuang County, Tuojiang River is one of the branches of Wushui River. Originated from Nanshan Gorge,  Tuojiang River is 131 kilometers in length, among which 96.9 kilometers is in Fenghuang County, with the drainage are of 732.42 square kilometers. It flows through Fenghuang County from west to east, and then plunges into Wushui River, one of  branches of Yunjiang River.

Sitting on the Wupeng Boat (an ancient styled shed boat in strong Xiangxi flavor), you can listen to the folk labor song of the boatman, appreciate the hundred-year-long unique houses built on stilts along the riverbank, enjoy the beautiful scenery on both sides of Tuojiang River in Fenghuang Ancient Town. However, it is a impressive and peaceful experience. 

North Gate City Tower is located on the south bank of the Tuojiang River in north of Fenghuang Ancient City. It was at first built in 1556 during the Ming Dynasty. And it was  rebuilt and also named "Bihui Gate" in 1715 during the Qing Dynasty. Made of local purple and red strips of stone,the North Gate City Tower   is very sturdy  and has been preserved to this day. The gate, like a half-moon arch, is about 7 meters deep and 3.5 meters high. The gate is equipped with two huge iron doors which are covered with iron sheets and round iron nails  to make it is densely riveted. Visitor can see  the two Chinese charactor words "碧辉  （bì huī） " on the gate. Above the words, there is a stone sculpture which is engraved with many heroes in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

North Gate Wharf (北门码头 běi mén mǎ tóu ) is right next to the North Gate City Tower in Fenghuang Ancient Town. It is the wharf of the Tuojiangjiang River. You can board  a boat on the Tuoiiang River. North Gate Wharf is very close to Tuojiang Jumping Rock (沱江跳岩 tuójiāng tiào yán) . There are many visitors here for shooting every day. The North Gate Wharf has been gathering the prosperity and prosperity of Fenghuang Town for over hundreds years history. It is one of the tonw's most iconic sights. Here you can see the famous the Jumping Rocks up close.  And it is always full of tourists coming and going from day to night. At the same time, The North Gate Wharf，as an important transportation hub, is a boating point for the Tuojiang River rafting.

Tuojiang Jumping Rock (沱江跳岩 tuójiāng tiào yán) is one of the landmarks of Fenghuang Ancient City. It is located on the Tuojiang River outside the North Gate  City Tower of the ancient city. It is about 100 meters in length and has a total of 115 rock piers. Tuojiang  Jumping Rock was built in 1704 in the Qing Dynasty. It was one of the main passageways from the northeast to the ancient city. Because people have to step on this rock when passing by to hop across the river, the "Jumping Rock" is named for it.
The Jumping Rock is one of the most popular photography spots in Fenghuang Ancient Town. For ordinary tourists,  it is also necessary to walk around the jumping rocks and listen to the sounds of the flowing water in Tuojiang River. 

Stilt Houses Group is a major architecture feature of Fenghuang Anicent Town. Stilt House is an ancient building in Southwest China. Its most primitive form was a dry-fenced house which stand next to the water and built against the mountains. At present, most of the stilt houses in Fenghuang Ancient Town retain the architectural style of the Ming and Qing dynasties. The stilt houses group on the bank of Tuojiang River is very rare in China with its spectacular lineup. It not only gives people a spectacular feeling in form, but also continuously guides people to imagine and explore. It represents the spirit of a regional nation in the ups and downs of history, such as a ballad or an epic, which records the stormy history and the ordinary people's stories.

Wanming Tower: After passed through under the Railbow Bridge, the boat will get to the wharf nearby the Waming Tower. It is also known as 万名塔（Wàn míng tǎ ） in Chinese, is located on the north bank of Shawan area  on  the bank of Tuojiang River in Fenghuang Ancient Town. It is close to Wanshou Palace. Standing under the tower and looking west, you can see the Rainbow Bridge. Wanming Tower was  first built in 1776 during the Qing Dynasty. After the original tower was destroyed, Mr Huang Yongyu,  born in Fenghuang Town and one of the well-known painter in China,  summoned the local people to raise money for reconstruction, and renamed it " Wanming Tower" in 1985.

Tuojiang River Cruise is one of the top atrractions of Fenghuang Tour, feeding the Fenghuang people from generations to generations. Women are usually seen washing their clothes by the river, wearing traditional Chinese leaf or bamboo hat. Men are fond of wearing ancient Chinese waistcoat, fishing in the river. Stone bridges, winding flagstone paths, wooden waterwheels and beautiful Miao ethic girls and Tujia ethic girls in their traditional costumes. 

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Travel Tips
Address: Tuojiang Town, Fenghuang County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Western Hunan Province
Phone: 0743-3502059,0743-3223315
Opening hours:  all day
Entrance Fees: CNY 148( included the entrance ticket of the Fenghuang Ancient Town) 

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