Fenghuang Town, southernmost of Zhangjiagang City, is set in the southern bank of the lower reaches of Yangtze River. It borders Changshu City on the south and Jiangyin City on the west, covering a total area of 78.7 square kilometers. Fenghuang Town boasts beautiful scenery, crisscrossing rivers, fertile land, and abundant resources. The waterways are densely distributed in the territory, with water and land ratio 33.81:66.19. Lakes and ponds are scattered in the Town, which are connected to the Yangtze River and then the seas. As a quiet and beautiful water town typical in the southern part of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, it has long and narrow rivers, streets and lanes along rivers, exquisite stone bridges, and waterside architectures, where people can appreciate varied sights from morning to evening.
The history of Fenghuang Town can be traced back to Majiabang Culture Period 6000 years ago. In the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476B.C.), it was the northern border of the Kingdom Wu; In Qin Dynasty(221-206B.C.), it was governed by Wuxian County of Kuaiji Prefecture; from the Western Han Dynasty(206 B.C.-A.D. 25) to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), it was long within the administrative are of Wu Prefecture; in Yuan(1206-1368) and Ming Dynasties(1368-1644), it had become a bazaar and was called Heyang at that time.
Fenghuang Town is named after the Fenghuang Mountain in the territory. Wang Ao, one Prime Minister of the Ming Dynasty, once wrote in the History of Gusu (today’s Suzhou)that Fenghuang was famous for its Eight Sights inside the Town and Eight Sights outside. The Eight Sights inside include: Three Pools, Four Wells, Ancient Juniper, Empty Poplar, Picturesque Peak, Sweet Spring, the Prime Minister's Tomb, Chuangyuan Terrace (Chuangyuan is a title given to the "No. 1 scholar in the Imperial Examinations in ancient China); Eight sights outside is: Scholar Reading Books near the Lake, Wine Shop, Fishermen Singing Songs at Port, Shepherd’s Bollards, Dove Crowing, Fishes Swimming in Lotus Pond, Sunset against Pine Trees, Flying Flags on a Finely Decorated House. The ormosia hosiei trees, which are rare in the lower reaches of Yangtze River, are also found in Fenghuang Town. The well-preserved single arched stone bridge built in the Ming Dynasty is one indispensable part of the ancient Town, which adds more glory to the town and relics like this enrich its cultural connotation.
Fenghuang Town won titles as “Hometown of Wu Ballads" in 2007, “Hometown of Chinese Folk Culture and Arts (Folk Songs)" in 2008 and "China’s Historic and Cultural Town" in 2010. At present, the Town has 1 cultural relic protected at the provincial level(waiting to be approved as cultural site protected at the national level), 7 cultural sites protected at the municipal level, 3 cultural relics protected; 1 state-level intangible cultural heritage, 1 provincial-level intangible cultural heritage, and 12 municipal-level intangible cultural heritages.
