Furong Ancient Town (Furong Zhen): The Town Built Above a Waterfall
Short answer: Furong Ancient Town (also written Furong Town or Furongzhen) is a 2,000-year-old Tujia town in western Hunan built on the cliff above a two-tier waterfall: the main street ends at the top of the fall, the stilt-house balconies hang over the water, and a walkway takes you behind the curtain. After dark the whole town is illuminated until midnight. It is 23 minutes by high-speed train from Zhangjiajie West and sits between Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang. The ticket is CNY 108, valid for 3 days, and includes the walkway behind the waterfall and two Tujia shows. Arrive in the afternoon, watch the lights come on, stay the night and go on to Fenghuang in the morning: that is the route that works.
Facts checked 12 October 2026: ticket, concessions, lights and the walkway with the scenic area by telephone; trains on China Railway 12306.
Key facts
| Item | Figure | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is | Yongshun County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, western Hunan; between Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang | Oct 2026 |
| Ticket | CNY 108, valid 3 consecutive days, unlimited entry; about CNY 98 booked online in advance. Includes the walkway behind the waterfall (a second ticket check) and the Tujia shows | Oct 2026, ticketing sites and visitors’ reports |
| Concessions | Students and ages 60 to 64 half price; ages 65 to 74 CNY 10; 75 and over and under 14 free. Foreign passports qualify; show your passport | 65 and over, under 14 and foreign passports: confirmed with the scenic area by telephone, 12 Oct 2026; 60 to 64 half price: ticketing sites, Oct 2026 |
| Lights | On at about 18:20 in October, off at midnight. The start moves with sunset: about 19:30 in summer | October times confirmed with the scenic area by telephone, 12 Oct 2026; summer time from visitors’ reports |
| Walkway behind the waterfall | Open | 12 Oct 2026, confirmed with the scenic area by telephone |
| From Zhangjiajie | High-speed train from Zhangjiajie West to Furongzhen: 23 to 24 minutes, about CNY 40, 11 trains a day from 07:28 to 19:20. No trains from the city-centre Zhangjiajie Railway Station | 12 Oct 2026, 12306 |
| Station to the town | About 2.5 km, 10 minutes: scenic-area minibus or a taxi at a flat CNY 20. Our guests are met at the station | Oct 2026 |
| On to Fenghuang | Furongzhen to Fenghuang Ancient Town station 27 to 40 minutes, about CNY 53, 11 trains a day, the last at 19:45; or 2 hours by car | 12 Oct 2026, 12306 |
| How long | Half a day to one night. The old street takes about an hour; the waterfall, the walkway and the lights fill an afternoon and an evening | Oct 2026 |
| Name | Formerly Wangcun; renamed after the 1986 film Hibiscus Town (Furong Zhen) was shot here | Oct 2026 |
What makes Furong different
Many of our guests add Furong as a stop on the way from Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang, expecting an hour or two, and leave saying it was the place they liked most in Hunan. China has hundreds of restored old towns; very few stand on top of a waterfall. Here the main street ends where a two-tier fall drops into the Youshui River. The balconies of the stilt houses hang over the curtain of water, and the roar follows you through every lane.
Away from the main street, Tujia families still live in the wooden houses. In the morning someone is washing clothes by the river; in the evening someone is watching the lit-up fall from their own balcony.
The town is some 2,000 years old and was called Wangcun until the 1986 film Hibiscus Town was shot here; the name stuck. The Xizhou Bronze Pillar, cast in the 10th century to record a peace treaty, and the Tusi Palace, residence of the local chieftains, are both still here.
The moment that stays with people is dusk. In October the lights come on at about 18:20: the fall turns white under the lamps, the stilt houses glow along the cliff, and the whole picture repeats itself upside down in the river below. They stay on until midnight. Guests who stay the night tell us the town feels like a different place after dark.
And it is small. The old street takes an hour; half a day to one night covers it, and nobody ends the day tired. Twenty-three minutes by train from Zhangjiajie, on the way to Fenghuang: it fits without a detour.
An afternoon and an evening in Furong
This is how our guides run it, and the order matters because of the light.
| When | What | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Early afternoon | Enter at the visitor centre and walk Wuli Street, the old stone street | The slabs are worn into grooves and shine blue-grey after rain. Stilt houses, brocade shops, oil-paper umbrellas; a rice tofu shop trades on the film’s name |
| Afternoon | The viewing platform below the waterfall, then the cliff walkway behind it | You pass behind the curtain of water with the river below you; on a sunny afternoon there is often a rainbow. Expect spray on your face and your camera. This section has a second ticket check. When the water is low and the scenic area opens it, a line of stepping stones crosses the top of the fall |
| Late afternoon | Cross Tuwang Bridge and climb to the Tusi Palace and the Babutang viewing terrace on the far bank | The widest view of the town and both tiers of the waterfall, with the fewest people |
| Half an hour before dusk | Back to the platform below the waterfall | Lights at 18:20 in October, about 19:30 in summer. Be standing there when they come on |
| After dark | The Tujia drum show at Baishou Hall (included in the ticket; the programme changes by season and we confirm it for your date) | The stepped seating opposite the Bronze Pillar garden gives the clearest view. While the crowd is at the show, the waterfall platform empties: that is the moment for night photographs |
| Later | A second, walking performance around Tuwang Bridge and Jinan Square | Also included; times vary by season and we confirm them for your date |
| Next morning, if you stay | The town before 08:00, almost empty, the waterfall in morning light | Boat trips are sometimes offered on the Youshui River (not included); the town seen from the water is a different picture again |
Furong Ancient Town tickets
The ticket is CNY 108 at the gate, about CNY 98 booked online in advance, and it is valid for 3 consecutive days with unlimited entry, so if you stay the night you can walk in again in the morning. It covers the old town, the walkway behind the waterfall, the daytime square performances and the two evening Tujia shows. Concessions for students, visitors over 60 and children are in the table above and apply to foreign passports: show your passport at the gate. We book the tickets before you arrive, so you walk in with your guide rather than queueing at the window.
How to get to Furong
| From | How | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhangjiajie West station | High-speed train to Furongzhen | 23 to 24 minutes, about CNY 40 | 11 trains a day, 07:28 to 19:20. The city-centre Zhangjiajie Railway Station has no trains to Furong; go from Zhangjiajie West |
| Furongzhen station | To the old town, 2.5 km | 10 minutes | Our guests are met at the station. On your own: the scenic-area minibus or a taxi at a flat CNY 20 |
| Wulingyuan or Zhangjiajie city | Private car, door to door, luggage stays in the car | About 2 hours from Zhangjiajie city or Tianmen Mountain; 1.5 to 2 hours from Wulingyuan | The choice for families with older travellers or a lot of luggage |
| Furong to Fenghuang | High-speed train; or private car with stops at the Aizhai Bridge and Dehang Miao Village | 27 to 40 minutes by train, about CNY 53; about 2 hours by car | Many Zhangjiajie West to Fenghuang trains do not stop at Furongzhen; we book the ones that do |
One timing to know: there is no train back from Furongzhen to Zhangjiajie West before about midday (the first on the current timetable leaves at 11:58). If you stay the night and must be back in Zhangjiajie early, we arrange a car; otherwise spend the morning in the town and take an early-afternoon train. Train times and full details are on our page on getting from Zhangjiajie to Furong Town.
Day trip or overnight
Going on to Fenghuang: stay the night. The illuminations are the reason people come, the street is empty before 08:00, and from here it is about half an hour by train to Fenghuang: one straight line, no backtracking. This is how our 7-day Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang tour runs it.
Staying in Zhangjiajie, not going to Fenghuang: a day trip works. In October the train that leaves Zhangjiajie West just before 17:00 lands you in the town an hour before dusk; watch the town light up, then take one of the four evening trains back, which leave between 21:30 and 22:00 and reach Zhangjiajie West between about 21:55 and 22:25. Or go by private car and stay as late as you like.
Where to stay
| Who it suits | |
|---|---|
| Inns beside the waterfall, inside the old town | Open the window and the waterfall is there; a pot of tea on the balcony at dusk is the better seat. You fall asleep to the sound of the water, which some guests love and light sleepers do not |
| Other inns inside the old town | On the old street itself, so the evening walk under the lights starts at your door. Expect a stretch of stone steps to reach the door; some inns carry luggage up for you, and we check when we book |
| Hotels in the new town outside the gate | Level ground, the car stops at the door, 5 minutes by taxi into the old town. For older travellers, families with young children and anyone with heavy luggage this is usually where we book, and we drive you in for the evening and out again afterwards |
The inn owners in Furong are used to meeting guests at the station, carrying bags up the steps and calling a car in the morning. With us, your guide and driver take over that part; the pot of tea on arrival still comes from the owner.
What to eat
Rice tofu (mi doufu), the snack from the film, is still sold on the old street: a soft rice curd in a hot, sour and spicy sauce, eaten standing up. So are Tujia smoked pork and fish from the Youshui River. The restaurants on the left side of the waterfall have terrace tables that look straight at the water; book one for the half hour before dusk and you watch the town light up from your table. Your guide takes you to the places local people use.
When to go
Every season shows a different Furong. After summer rain the waterfall is at its fullest and rainbows are common in the afternoon. Autumn is the easiest season: cooler, with plenty of water still coming over. Spring brings blossom and a thinner fall. In winter it occasionally snows, the town is quiet and the illuminations run as usual; choose a room with heating; the wooden houses hold little warmth. The stone street is damp all year, so wear shoes with grip, and bring a light jacket for the spray by the waterfall.
Furong and Fenghuang together
Zhangjiajie, then Furong for a night, then Fenghuang: one line, no backtracking. The two do not repeat each other: Furong is the waterfall and the illuminated evening, Fenghuang is the Tuojiang River and the life of a larger old town. Our Fenghuang Ancient Town guide covers the second stop.
Good to know
- The platform below the waterfall is at its busiest at 18:20 in October, the moment the lamps come on. Either be standing there already, or go once the show has started.
- The old town is built on a slope: there are stone steps between the street and the river, and the stones near the fall are always wet.
- Few taxis cruise the old town after dark. Our guests’ car waits at the gate; if you are on your own, ask your inn to call a car before you go out.
Plan your visit with us
We live in Zhangjiajie, and Furong is on most of the routes we run to Fenghuang. Tell us your dates and who is coming on our plan my trip page, and we will fit Furong into your Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang days, book the right trains, and choose the inn or hotel that suits your group. Private tours only, with an English-speaking guide and a private driver. For older travellers, see our Zhangjiajie tour for seniors.
Planning Zhangjiajie, Furong and Fenghuang? Tell us your dates and who is coming, and we will fit Furong into the route, book the right trains and choose the inn that suits your group.
Frequently asked questions
Is Furong Ancient Town worth visiting?
Yes. Its main street and stilt houses stand directly above a waterfall, and its evening lights are among the best-known sights in western Hunan. It is 23 minutes by train from Zhangjiajie and on the way to Fenghuang, so there is no detour. Half a day to one night is enough.
How much is the Furong Ancient Town ticket?
CNY 108, valid for 3 days, including the walkway behind the waterfall and two Tujia shows (checked October 2026). Students and ages 60 to 64 pay half, ages 65 to 74 pay CNY 10, and visitors aged 75 and over and children under 14 enter free. Foreign passports qualify for the concessions.
What time do the lights come on in Furong?
At about 18:20 in October, confirmed with the scenic area, and they stay on until midnight. The start time follows sunset, so expect about 19:30 in summer.
Can you walk behind the waterfall?
Yes. A cliff walkway passes behind the curtain of water; it has a second ticket check and is open as of October 2026. The path is wet, so wear shoes with grip.
Can I do Furong as a day trip from Zhangjiajie and still see the lights?
Yes. Watch the lights come on, then take one of the evening trains, which leave between 21:30 and 22:00 and reach Zhangjiajie West between about 21:55 and 22:25; or go by private car and leave when you like.
Should I stay inside the old town or outside?
Inside, beside the waterfall, if you want the view from your balcony and do not mind the sound of the water. Outside, in the new town, if you are travelling with older family members, young children or heavy luggage: level ground, the car at the door, and we drive you in for the lights.
How do Furong and Fenghuang fit together?
Zhangjiajie to Furong for a night, then Fenghuang: a straight line with no backtracking. Furong takes half a day to one night, Fenghuang one or two nights, and the two towns do not repeat each other.
Is Furong a real town or a tourist attraction?
Both. The main street is set up for visitors, with shops, inns and the evening shows. Away from it, Tujia families still live in the wooden houses, and before 08:00 the street belongs to them.
Sources and data notes
- Concessions for visitors aged 65 and over and children under 14, their application to foreign passports, the October lights-on and lights-off times, and the opening of the walkway behind the waterfall: confirmed with the Furong scenic area by telephone on 12 October 2026. Ticket price, 3-day validity, online price and the half-price rate for students and ages 60 to 64: four Chinese ticketing sites and visitors’ reports, October 2026. Concession rules change; we confirm them for your dates when we book.
- Train times and journey times (Zhangjiajie West to Furongzhen: 11 trains; Furongzhen to Zhangjiajie West: 8 trains, the first at 11:58; Furongzhen to Fenghuang: 11 trains): China Railway 12306, checked 12 October 2026 for travel on 20 October 2026, on the timetable in force since 9 October 2026. Fares are approximate second-class prices. We check times again for your travel dates.
- Station-to-town distance, minibus and taxi fares, show names and timings, inns and the sound of the water, stepping stones across the top of the fall: visitors’ trip reports from November 2025 to October 2026, compared with our own guides’ experience. Show times vary by season.
- History (Wangcun, the 1986 film, the Xizhou Bronze Pillar of the 10th century, the Tusi Palace): published guides and the scenic area’s own material.
- Lights, water levels and crowds change with the season; we check them again for your travel dates.
See also: getting from Zhangjiajie to Furong Town · Fenghuang Ancient Town guide · 7-day Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang private tour · Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang and Furong 7-day itinerary · Zhangjiajie tour for seniors · Zhangjiajie travel guide · how many days in Zhangjiajie.