The slogan of the inn

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

Located in the southwest of Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, New Zealand writer rewi alley praised this ancient phoenix city, which was built in the 43rd year of Qing Emperor Kangxi (1704), as "Pingyao in the north and Phoenix in the south".

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 grandchildren and a love affair is embedded in this quaint and beautiful ancient city.

On the way to Phoenix, I imagined the Phoenix in my heart all the way. It should be like a border town. On the picturesque river, the waterwheel keeps turning, and people who walk on the smooth bluestone road and grow up in exquisite wooden diaojiao buildings are kind and simple, living an idyllic life.

Although I knew that Gu Chenghui lost its original color under the impetus of modern tourism, I didn't expect it to be unrecognizable. Phoenix is still a border town, and Cui Cui is no longer Cui Cui.

By car from Zhangjiajie, my best friend and I bumped all the way for 2 hours to 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 and even a little shabby small buildings are densely arranged on both sides of the narrow road. There is no vegetation, and there is no aura of water town written by Shen Congwen. Instead, the dust all over the sky is mixed with disgusting car exhaust.

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

I don't ask your intention, just guide an old van not far away, for fear of leaving someone behind.

My friend and I dragged our suitcases all the way along the uneven cement road towards the navigator, but we were wondering in our hearts whether this remote and backward town was a dream water town with outstanding people and a phoenix nirvana.

After about 10 minutes of hard walking and following the sound of water, we saw this ancient town submerged in modern towns.

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

Driven by the light, in a short time, all the streets in the town are jostling. 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, while the wooden doors are replaced by merchants, 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 hand-painted business cards, and clothing stores are hung with clothes and jewelry of the same ethnic style.

People in the street, without exception, wear gorgeous national garlands, sun hats or scarves.

The same recipe is so familiar that I can't tell whether it's in Dali, Lijiang or Guilin West Street.

In this way, similar scenes can be seen in major scenic spots all over the country, which inevitably makes me feel boring.

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

Then what happened made me feel deeply sad.

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

I don't know when, a little sister cat was behind us, fascinated by our watch, and coldly signaled that we had to pay for listening to the song!

I am surprised that under the cloak of business, people have become snobs. The spirit of generosity and simplicity in the border town is gone forever.

Disappointed, we came to Tuojiang River. The night in the ancient city is beautiful, and the banks of the Tuojiang River are brightly lit. Restaurants and colorful bars can be seen everywhere under the diaojiao building.

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

The deafening noise from bars of different folk songs made me numb.

Three lost people (frustrated, lovelorn and abnormal) from all over the world crowded into this ancient city. I saw them dancing to the music, getting drunk and partying all night, enjoying the pleasure brought by this short escape.

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

This drunken atmosphere makes me very uneasy. We have nowhere to live except the bar, 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 lead singer's brother is holding a guitar. His timbre is rich, and his songs are full of vicissitudes and stories. If it weren't for his young face, I would mistakenly think that this is a wanderer who has found his home here.

He said that the drummer next to him was a friend and stayed in Phoenix for 10 years.

Today's Phoenix is not what it was 10 years ago. At that time, the ancient city was not fully commercialized, and the diaojiao building by the beautiful Tuojiang River still lived in Xiangxi. They still live a simple life. On the one hand, the soil and water make them optimistic, simple and kind.

I don't know when hotels, inns, bars and restaurants have mushroomed all over the ancient city, but what Phoenix lost can only stay in memory and become the next song.

The only shadow of the border town was met in the morning when we left Phoenix, and we got up early on purpose. The phoenix in the early morning is not disturbed by tourists.

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

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

I walked silently by the Tuojiang River.

Fortunately, Phoenix kept the original building, but unfortunately lost its original aura. People who have lived under this beautiful land for generations have been replaced and taken away the essence.

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

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

Accommodation: There are many inns in Fenghuang Ancient City. It is recommended to live in the lower reaches of the ancient city, or in the urban area. Very quiet, the ancient city is very lively at night, which will affect the rest. If you are staying in an inn in the ancient city, be sure to ask about the seats. It is best to let the shopkeeper come out to lead the way. Many inns in the ancient city are narrow paths, so it is difficult to find a place without guidance.

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

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

As for bars, try to choose bars with higher security. Too many people is not necessarily a good thing. The prices 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 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.