Furong Ancient Town

Plunging 60 meters in two tiers across a 40-meter width into the You River, Furong's waterfall flows right through the town beneath overhanging stilt houses, a rare sight in China.

Clinging to a red sandstone cliff, this Tujia summer palace of the Peng chieftains looks out over the whole of the great waterfall.

Cast to seal a pact between Chu ruler Ma Xifan and chieftain Peng Shichou in the Five Dynasties, this bronze pillar weighs about 5,000 jin and marks a long tradition of Tujia self-rule.

The classic film Hibiscus Town, starring Jiang Wen and Liu Xiaoqing, was shot along this winding flagstone street, now lined with Tujia heritage snacks.

In 940, Xizhou leader Peng Shichou and Chu King Ma Xifan formed an alliance whose terms were preserved on a bronze pillar.