The photography expedition team of Hunan Province Foreigner Photo Contest arrived in Furong (Hibiscus) Town on December 23. This thousand-year-old town was originally known as Wangcun (village of the Wangs) and was renamed Furong (Hibiscus) Town when the award winning film Hibiscus Town, based on a novel by the same name, was shot here on location.
Upon arriving Furong Town, the group was enthralled with its fascinating landscape and mysterious Tujia culture. When seen from afar, the town is like hanging on a waterfall. A dwelling palace of the mystical national minority headmen was sited on the steep cliff. Stilted buildings inside the palace are well preserved. Gurgling water and misty rain fall down from the right side of the palace, offering moist and refreshing air while winning extreme praise from the international friends. The international guests were reluctant to leave the beautiful place, marveling at the greatness of the nature and charm of Tujia culture.
The town center has its own enchantment. One of the most pleasing way for international friends to experience its ethnic ambience is to hang around on the old-fashioned street in groups of three and four and to patronize stalls selling steaming rice tofu.
