šØš³ Furong Ancient Town
Maybe leave this for the TikTok itineraries
When researching China itineraries, many people had an ancient town on their list. The most popular ones seem to be Furong, Fenghuang, and Wangxian. The former two were on my way from Zhangjiajie to Macau, so I went with Furong for the alleged smaller crowds. I was aware I might be getting myself into a tourist trap, but since the place was on the way, I thought Iād give it a punt.
My day started with eating lunch in a local spot outside the ancient area. I was stared at the entire time by the ownerās grandchildren, who I think were mocking me for only knowing how to say āthank youā and āgood food, auntieā in Mandarin. The youngest would also drag a defeated dog around from time to time. All were signs that Iām about to have some great food.
I got some Chongqing noodles and a dish Iāve not seen before, āLiu Xiaoqing Rice Tofuā or something like that. I was lured in by the promise of tofu, but I didnāt quite get that. For context, Furong means āhibiscusā in Mandarin, with a Chinese film from 1986 being set in Furong town called āHibiscus Townā. Due to the success of the film, the town was renamed from Wangcun to Furong. Apparently, the Chinese will do a lot for tourism. Liu Xiaoqing is an actor in the film, with a famous dish of hers being rice jelly blocks that look a bit like tofu. Iād have preferred normal tofu, but it was alright.
After getting complimented by auntie for my chopstick skills, I left and followed the traditional Chinese music to get to the ancient town. It sounded a bit like this Chinese singing mushroom video that I think my former housemates were fed up with me referencing:
The town was pretty, with traditional Chinese buildings all around. There was also a river flowing through, which added a nice ambience. Otherwise, there really wasnāt much to do in the daytime. There was barely anyone around in the 32-degree humid heat, and the shopkeepers were desperate for anyone to look at their wares (mass-produced folding fans bulk-bought from Taobao). The view from the main viewpoint was beautiful, though.
I came back to the town later in the day, and it looked like the town had transformed, with lit-up lanterns everywhere. Sadly, it also got ridiculously busy, and it felt like any other touristy district in the evening. I went back to the same viewpoint as before, which looked fantastic initially until the waterfall started glowing with RGB lights. This got me appreciating the view during the day much more.
The town also has a cultural show every evening, which I briefly checked out. It told a loose story with actors dancing in traditional clothing. The dancing was impressive, but I think I was a bit jaded by having seen similar productions in neighbouring countries. This time, also, there were garish screens all around the performers showing animations of landscapes. Lovely.
I think itās pretty obvious I didnāt love this place. I was expecting a chill town where I could kick back in the evening and enjoy the views, but I got Oxford Street on a Saturday night. Saying this, Iām still glad I popped in. Itās an affirmation to trust my gut more in the future. And it looked pretty in the day.