This attraction introduction is compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · Scenic Spots section). Ticket prices, opening hours, transportation, and contact information mentioned in the text may be outdated. Please refer to the latest official announcements from the scenic area before traveling; some content consists of historical background/cultural introductions and is for reference only.
Xianglushan Miao Village is located about 16 kilometers north of Fenghuang Ancient Town. It is a tourist attraction that has only recently been developed, with very little commercial atmosphere; what visitors feel most is the simple folk customs of the Miao people there and their backward and impoverished living environment.
Behind the Miao village is a small hill, where a huge rock rises abruptly from the ground, resembling an incense burner, giving the hill its name Xianglushan (Incense Burner Mountain). In the mountain grow thousand-year-old ancient trees, surrounded by thin mist and light clouds. At the foot of the mountain lies a thousand-year-old ancient Miao village, with grey-tiled earthen houses arranged in picturesque disorder; the village folk customs are simple and the people harmonious and friendly. The three great sinkholes beside the village are unique to Xiangxi. The sinkholes are connected by caves; within the sinkholes are caves, within the caves is water, and within the water are boats—truly a great wonder of the Miao mountains. In the caves, red, black, and white dragons are said to have attained immortality here. At the cave entrance are planted red, black, and white flags, bearing the heroic legend of the three flags and three kings.
After passing through the sinkholes, karst caves, and Xianglushan, what comes into view is a large expanse of fields. At the far end of the fields, a village of low houses forms a scene like an oil painting—this is Xianglushan Miao Village.
Fenghuang Xianglushan Miao Village is a small village about 10-plus kilometers from Fenghuang Ancient Town, a small village that still preserves its most original appearance and simple folk customs, a small village that has been developed by the tourism industry for less than a year, and a small village that can be walked from end to end in about half an hour at a normal pace. Fenghuang Xianglushan Miao Village is a paradise on earth, historically known as a holy site of the Miao region. The ancient village at the foot of the mountain is old and mysterious, with a total population of over 600, including more than 90 elderly people over 80 years old; it is also called Longevity Village. You can visit centenarians, explore the bandit caves from the "Xiangxi Bandit Suppression Campaign," and watch Miao folk song and dance performances for free.
To enter the Fenghuang Xianglu Mountain Miao Village, you must pass three tests: first, suppressing bandits; second, singing antiphonal songs; third, drinking three bowls of rice wine. If you cannot pass these three tests, you cannot enter the village. Suppressing bandits means passing through a cave (where bandits once hid), which is also the filming location of the movie "Suppressing Bandits in Xiangxi." The cave is treacherous and rugged, the path is difficult to walk, and you must also cross a river. The bridge over the river is made of small wooden planks nailed together, only one meter wide, with water dripping from above, making the bridge very slippery, while the water below flows swiftly.
Xianglu Mountain Miao Village is a very poor Miao village, inhabited by the "deep Miao" (Miao people who have not been assimilated by the Han). It was the TV series "Bloody Xiangxi" that brought it out of the mountains. In the past, Xianglu Mountain was a bandit den, and the people lived in misery. When the People's Liberation Army suppressed the bandits, there were heavy casualties. A young Miao man volunteered to guide the PLA, and the bandits took revenge on him—his children were all brutally killed, and his wife barely escaped.
To commend him, in 1961 the local government hung a plaque reading "Defend Peace" on his door. However, this political honor could not be eaten as food; the old couple lived in poverty, making one sigh at how pale and powerless social security is. Xianglu Mountain Miao Village still maintains a hereditary chieftain system. Upon entering the village, we saw a child with a feather stuck in his hair singing mountain songs. The guide told us this child was the chieftain's son. All the children in the village sing outside or inside the village, but only the chieftain's son is qualified to stand at the village entrance to welcome visitors, adding a touch of mystery.
The folk customs here are simple and honest, and the people here are warm and hospitable. Walking into Xianglu Mountain Miao Village, young Miao brothers and sisters—some on the field paths, some standing on the steep roadside—sing mountain songs. The older ones are in their teens, the younger ones only two or three years old. Some wear Miao clothing, so innocent and adorable, their skin tanned dark by the scorching sun. Most of the children's shoes are worn out; some even wear slippers directly. Their eyes reveal the most sincere everything. Looking into their eyes, one always feels a kind of longing
Transportation
There are direct buses from Changsha and Zhangjiajie to Fenghuang Ancient Town. By train, you can get off at Jishou or Huaihua, then transfer to a bus to Fenghuang. After getting off, there are tour buses to Xianglu Mountain Miao Village. If your travel itinerary only includes seeing Xianglu Mountain Miao Village, half a day is enough to tour it.
