When it comes to (谈及)historical cities in China, Feng huang ancient town in western Hunan is the one that first pops into (进入, come into)my mind. As is well known in China, this old city impresses visitors with its natural landscapes (自然景观, scenery) , unique architecture, and local customs,etc.To me, I personally take great interest in its distinctive (有特色的，与众不同的，unique)ancient dwellings (民居, residences) with beautiful, delicate craft (精湛的工艺)and elegant, artistic design rarely seen in the world architecture. When I was still in high school, I was dreaming of being there to truly witness the masterpiece of both the big nature and the local people. I have to say I was fascinated. I also did a lot of research work back then. At that time, I was reading a novel named The Boarder Town written by a very distinguished (著名的, famous) Chinese author Shen Congwen. This book depicted a love story with its background set in Fenghuang ancient story. Full of idyllic (田园的, pastoral)and pastoral flavors, I was fond of the ancient city extraordinarily (非常地,greatly). Early this year, I finally squeezed out sometime from the heavy work and joined my friends to pay there a visit. When we arrived, the weather was so shinny and we can see the blue sky and the boundless land. I have to say that was a really wide-open view and clear vision. We were all amazed by the incomparable beauty of its natural sceneries, we also saw the well-preserved dwellings in good condition which was also what we were hoping to see for a long time.This kind of stilted dwellings (吊脚楼)was called“diao jiao lou” in Chinese, representing local customs and lifestyles, as well as the ancient Chinese culture. Stilted Building in western Hunan could be regarded as a gem(宝石)of Chinese residence and its timber work (木结构)structure system was further fantastic. The houses were mostly built down the hillside and supported by wooden pillars. People lived on the second floor,while the first elevated (提高的) ground floor was served as the storehouse, which was against moisture (湿气) and allowed for wind movement. If you make a trip to Fenghuang ancient town, you will see stilted buildings on the riverside and surly love them.
