man with hat - Fenghuang.
Fenghuang is a small "ancient villiage", Fenghuang - Chinese for phoenix - surrounded by mountains and girdled by the Tuojiang River - about 2 hours (92kms) by bus from Huaihua - i went on the weekend to take photos - a wonderful mysterious place. Dating from 686AD during the Tang dynasty.
Fenghuang is most famous for its Miao-style tilted houses. (Minority group) These are two-story wooden structures whose lower stories are supported by several heavy logs standing tilted on the ground, and whose large, wide upper stories lean over the river. The upper story is beautifully crafted, with up-turned eaves and carved windows, doors and railings. The lower story has no living rooms, but the tilted sections are ornately carved. There are now only one dozen Qing Dynasty and early Republican period tilted houses extant.
photo. mhobbs