about lodging the prices range in that article might scares a few of...in 2017 i found a very comfortable place for 80yuan in the ancient town (during dragon boat festival-holiday time).inside the room had a mahjong table.
i do not speak chinese and before i found the 80yuan one..i was quoted 120yuan by another place but after checking all the pages of my passport they did not accomodate me (too lazy or just did not want to accomodate suspicious foreigner with many stamps on passport...who knows)

great city to visit...no foreigners...only chinese tourists