In Yongshun County, western Hunan, Furong Ancient Town rises above the You River, where a waterfall cuts through the built landscape. The dramatic image is real, but the place is more than a viewpoint: it is a Tujia settlement whose old name, Wangcun, recalls a history shaped by river travel, local rule and later film fame. Stone lanes, houses and water together make the visit legible.
Hunan government accounts describe Wangcun as a town with a history of more than two millennia and a former commercial stop on the You River. One official feature recounts that in 910 a Tusi ruler established a capital and a summer retreat here. These are the broad historical claims published by provincial sources; the short accounts do not provide an archaeological chronology for every century, so the town’s full story should not be reduced to one precise founding date.
