Furong Ancient Waterfall Town - The Widow's Veil

shan157
Mar 28
3 min read

Updated: May 16

Originally known as Wangcun, this 2,000-year-old village began as a sleepy Tujia ethnic settlement, a place of modest traditions and ancestral spirit worship. The village sits dramatically on a cliff above the You River, with traditional stilted houses overlooking the Furong Waterfall, a 60 metre drop that dominates both the landscape and local legends.

Located high within the cliffs of Western Hunan, its true rise began in the 15th century under the Qing Dynasty as a bustling trade hub & market town for luxurious silk and salt. Advanced buildings, unique architecture and traditional opera houses attracted merchants, poets and warlords alike.

Night view of a lantern-lit traditional Chinese building and bridge. Warm golden lights reflect on water, with glowing signage and trees.

The Tujia people are one of China's 56 officially recognised ethnic groups and their origins trace back to the Ba people, a now-extinct civilization that existed around 1100BC. Their talismanic architecture, built around animism, ancestor worship and a reverence for nature, reflect centuries of traditions. Elevating living spaces was traditionally believed to distance their homes from evil spirits that roam the ground, while also keeping families safe from floods and wild animals. Homes often feature wooden balconies, carved pillars and open courtyards where rituals and gatherings take place. Protective motifs are carved into beams and doors to guard against malevolent forces and crimson paper charms flutter on thresholds like bloodied prayers.

The Sheba Festival is the most sacred ritual of the Tujia people, held early in the lunar year to honour ancestors, to dispel evil and reconnect with the spirit world. Centred around the Sheba Totem, a carved wooden pillar believed to link heaven, earth & the underworld, the festival involves offerings, ancestral worship and ceremonies led by shamans. The Baishou Dance, a traditional ritual movement with symbolic gestures, is performed to retell Tujia history and cosmology. Deeply spiritual and rarely open to outsiders, Sheba is a solemn event that reveals the Tujia’s profound connection to their past, their land and the unseen forces that shape both. With over 8 million members today, they’re one of the largest ethnic minorities in China, yet much of their culture remains shadowed from the mainstream.

The great Furong Waterfall was whispered to be a veil between the living and the dead. Named after an ancient legend, locals call it "The Brides Fall", after a young woman was cast to her death on her wedding night, in a storm of betrayal and thunder. Some say her wails can still be heard echoing through the mist, lurking beneath the cobblestones, through the forgotten wells and in the songs no longer sung. Her body was never found.

Illuminated traditional Chinese architecture at night with glowing red lanterns, intricate wooden structures, and vibrant signs, creating a serene mood.

It wasn’t until the 1986 release of the cult Chinese film Hibiscus Town (a tragic, post-Cultural Revolution trauma) that the village was reborn under its new name, Furong. The film’s melancholic beauty and political undertones cast a permanent veil of sorrow over the village, one that still lingers in the air like incense smoke.

Night view of a historic town with illuminated buildings and red lanterns along a river, creating a warm, festive atmosphere.

Location : Furong, Yongshun County, Xiangxi Tujia & Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, China

How to get there : I travelled here at night with very limited time after a paid day tour in Zhangjiajie, so here's my experience : We paid 335 yuan for a 2 hour night drive to Furong via Didi Taxi. We set a world speed record navigating this stunning Waterfall town in just over an hour and then did another 2 hours back to Zhangjiajie for an additional 335 yuan. If you have the time, allow at least a day and a night here! 1 hour was nowhere near enough and I missed a lot.

Attraction Info : There is a ticket booth located right near the entry gate and you will need your passport (a photocopy will suffice if the hotel still has yours). The entry fee is 108 yuan each, payable with Alipay. Directions within ancient town are well sign posted and the locals are happy to point you in the right direction. The whole place is open until 12am although when we arrived around 9:30pm, most of the street stalls were closed. Bring water! Visit between Summer and early Autumn for peak water flow and lush greenery. March was still ok.

芙蓉古镇