Hong Bridge (also called Rainbow Bridge) is the covered bridge spanning the Tuo River at the western end of the old town, a double-deck wooden structure that serves simultaneously as a bridge, a marketplace, and a viewing platform. The bridge's upper level supports a covered walkway lined with small vendor stalls; the lower level provides the crossing. The design — characteristic of minority-architecture covered bridges across the Xiangxi area — dates from the Ming dynasty, though the current structure is a later restoration.
The bridge provides the best views of the stilt houses (diaojiaolou) rising from the south bank of the Tuo River. The wooden buildings, built on posts driven into the riverbed to resist flooding, are the most immediately striking architectural feature of Fenghuang — photographs of the reflections in the evening river are reproduced on every piece of promotional material for western Hunan. The bridge itself is often full of vendors and visitors; the best river views are from the bridge parapet rather than from inside the covered section. Included in the ancient town ticket.