Chadong Ancient Town: The Border Town in Shen Congwen’s writings

1. Basic introduction:A border town that can touch the temperature of literature

In the mountains and mountains at the junction of Hunan, Guizhou and Chongqing, there is an ancient town that is gently supported by time – Chadong. It is not as tourists as the ancient city of Phoenix, but because of Shen Congwen’s literary imprint of ‘Border Town’, because of the unique texture of ‘one foot on three provinces, and one across two places’, it has become a ‘poem that can be touched’ in the hearts of countless people. The Qingshui River here surrounds the town, like a green ribbon wrapped around the bluestone road; The cages are reflected in the river and become a flowing star; Laladu’s steel cables run across the river, and the squeaking wooden boats carry time slowly from Hunan to Chongqing.

The story of Chadong is spread among the mountains and rivers as early as literary records. It is located in the hinterland of the Wuling Mountains. Since ancient times, it has been a ‘bring to the border city’ between the three provinces. The shipping of the Qingshui River once allowed the merchant ships to gather here. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the stilted building community gradually took shape, and the bluestone road meandered along the river bank. Every brick and stone were soaked in the sweat of the boatman and the footsteps of the merchants; ‘Inter-provincial link’, no paddles and ferries pulled only by steel cables, day after day, the fireworks on both sides of the strait are connected. Later, Shen Congwen set foot on this land, and wrote the landscape and human feelings here into ‘Biancheng’, making ‘Waiting of Cuicui’ and ‘Ferry under the White Pagoda’ become the spiritual symbol of Chadong—— Looking at it again, the White Pagoda is still standing on the bank of the river, the ferry is still shuttled through the river, and even the gentleness of the novel is still floating in the river wind.

The core landscape: the beauty of the collision of nature and humanities

1. Cuicui Island: The Poetry Extension of Literary Prototypes

• Basic introduction: Jiangxin Xiaodao, named after the heroine of ‘Border Town’, stands on the island with Cuicui statues (wearing a bamboo hat, holding a yellow dog), and behind it are the blue waves and distant mountains of the Qingshui River. In 2025, a new AR interactive device will be added, and you can listen to the classic clips of the novel by scanning the code.
• Tickets & Tours: It is free and open. It is recommended to land on the island at 6-7 o’clock in the morning, and shoot portrait silhouettes like ink painting under the mist.
• Photographing tips: Standing on the reef on the left side of the statue, with the white pagoda and stilted building as the background, to capture the artistic conception of ‘Cuicui Wangfu’.

2. Laladu: The time travel of the intangible cultural heritage ferry

• Basic introduction: The ‘hand-pulled ferry’ with a history of hundreds of years has been included in the intangible cultural heritage list of Xiangxi Prefecture. The boatman only pulls a wooden ferry with only one steel cable, and can cross the Qingshui River in 3 minutes, connecting Hunan Chadong and Chongqing Hongan.
• Tickets & Tours: One-way 2 yuan / person, cash payment (some boatmen do not support scanning code). It is recommended to choose a bow seat and shoot a dynamic video of ‘People are traveling in the painting’.
• Hidden play: In the early morning, the boat is chartered (50 yuan/boat), and the fisherman casts a net to cooperate with the shooting, and it is more agile in the morning fog.

3. Three Non-Islands: Immersive Theater at the Junction of the Three Provinces

• Basic introduction: It is named after the uninhabited jurisdiction of the three provinces at the junction of history, and it is now transformed into a cultural and tourism complex. During the day, you can go to the island to overlook the geographical wonder of ‘One Step on Three Provinces’, watch the ‘Border Town Story’ real-life drama (light and shadow show + interactive plot) at night, and experience the starry sky camping.
• Tickets & Tours: Tickets are 40 yuan (including real scene dramas), half price for students; 150 yuan / top (including moisture-proof pads) for camping tent rentals. It is recommended to land on the island in the evening, first enjoy the sunset ‘elephant trunk absorbs water’ natural landscape, and then participate in the bonfire party to learn to dance.

4. Chadong Ancient Street and Diaojiaolou: the fireworks of the Ming and Qing Dynasties

Night view: When the lights are on at night, walk along the stilted building along the river, and shoot the pictures of the lantern and the river.

Basic introduction: The bluestone slab road is connected in series with the stilted building of Linjiang, which retains the architectural style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. There are old teahouses, ginger candy workshops, and Miao embroidery shops along the street, and the air is filled with the aroma of bacon and the mellowness of glutinous rice wine.

deep play:

Old teahouse: Order a cup of Biancheng Gaiwan tea (5 yuan) at ‘Tonghexiang’ and listen to the local old man telling the legend of Cuicui.

handmade experience: Learn Miao embroidery (20 yuan/time) at ‘Cuicui’s Store’, or make ginger candy (30 yuan / serving) by yourself in Jiangtangfang.

Tickets and tour information: practical strategy reference​

1. Ticket price

• High-speed rail + connection:
  • Take the Zhang Jihuai high-speed railway to Jishou East Station, and take the tourist line directly to Chadong (28 yuan/person, 1.5 hours) after leaving the station.
  • Or go to Fenghuang Ancient City Station, transfer to the bus to Huayuan County (42 yuan / 45 minutes), and then take the bus to Chadong (6 yuan / 1 hour).
• Self-driving: Navigation ‘Biancheng Chadong Ancient Town’, there is a free parking lot at the entrance of the scenic spot. It should be noted that there is no parking lot in the Chongqing section. It is recommended to park on the south side of the lake and then cross the bridge.
• ferry: Chongqing Hong’an Ancient Town can take Laladu to Chadong (2 yuan / 3 minutes), the return journey needs to be on foot or by car

Precautions for the tour: Tips for improving the experience​

Traffic and Safety:

Self-driving needs to be cautious. There is 5 kilometers of Panshan Road from the expressway exit to Guzhen, and novices should avoid driving at night.
Be sure to wear a life jacket when riding Laladu, follow the command of the boatman, and do not play on the boat.:

Weather and equipment:

Prepare rain gear in the rainy season, Laladu may be out of operation in heavy rain, you can walk on the Hongcha Bridge or take a motor boat of 5 yuan/time.

The slate road is slippery, it is recommended to wear non-slip shoes (such as sports shoes, creek shoes), and avoid high heels.

📸 Photo Inspiration

• Early morning: 6-7 points to Cuicui Island, shoot the reflection of the stilted building and the silhouette of the ferry in the mist.
• In the evening: At 17-18:00 at Hong’an Wharf, catch the fireworks of the fishing boats returning to the port, and the sunset is plated with gold.
• Night view: After 20 o’clock, go to the Qingshui River, use the slow door to shoot the light and shadow trajectory of Laladu, or shoot the dynamic picture of the opera performance at the ‘Three Provinces Teahouse’.
• Humanities: Capture the life scene of the elderly smoking smoke and children playing in the ancient street, and feel the simplicity and tranquility of the border town.

Walking in Furong Town, it seems that time has slowed down. In the early morning, the mist shrouded the ancient town, and the sound of water in the waterfall was particularly clear in the silence; Outsiders come and go; at night, the lights of the ancient town are lit up, and the waterfall is colorful under the light of the lights. There is no hustle and bustle of the city, only the quietness of the years, people can’t help but stop and indulge in this unique tenderness. zitain

Furong Town is not only an ancient town, but also a living history, a flowing picture. It uses the majesty of the waterfall, the simplicity of the stilts, and the freshness of culture to tell every visitor the story of Xiangxi, and also allow people to find a peace of mind between the mountains and rivers.

Chadong: A border town that can touch the temperature of literature

If you are tired of the hustle and bustle of commercial ancient towns and want to find a place where you can ‘slow down’, Chadong is the best answer. Here, tourism is never a ‘check-in list’ – you can spend the morning sitting on Laladu, watching the river over the boat, and listening to the boatman’s old news about the junction of the three provinces; you can also be in the old teahouse in the afternoon. A bowl of Gaiwan tea, watching the sun, stretch the shadow of the stilted building very long; in the evening, walk along the Qingshui River, watch the sunset dye the river into orange red, and watch the children run after the fishing boat, even the wind is wrapped in slack warmth.

You don’t have to regret when you leave. Those morning fog ferries and night light stilts, those legends of Cuicui and the shouting of the boatmen who have heard of the morning light and stilts have already become a ‘border city fragment’ hidden in your memory. Maybe one day you think about it, you will find that Chadong has never given you an ordinary trip, but a day when you can touch the temperature of literature and feel the gentleness of time – this is the most precious gift left to every visitor. If you still want to find this tenderness again, it will always be in the mountains and rivers of Hunan, Guizhou and Chongqing, waiting for your return.