Phoenix Town, located in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous State of Hunan Province in the middle of China, was once called "one of the most beautiful small towns of China" by New Zealand writer Rewi Alley. The "Phoenix Ancient Town" was built during Kangxi reign of Qing Dynasty. This piece of "Xiangxi Pearl" is so "small" that there is only one decent east-west street. 
Phoenix Ancient Town is divided into two sections: new and old. The old section lies against mountains and beside rivers. Shallow Tuo River runs through with red sandstone walls lining each side. Nanhua Mountain provides a perfect backdrop for the old town tower, built during the Qing Dynasty. A narrow wood bridge over a wide river was constructed under the north gate of the town wall on stone frusta. People have to enter the bridge from the side, which was once the only passage to go out of town.
