Tusi Sites

Overview

About

Tusi Sites (土司遗址) was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015 as a cultural site.

Why it was inscribed

A witness to exchange between cultures; a unique testimony to a cultural tradition or civilisation.

Tusi were hereditary chiefs of minority peoples in south-west China appointed by the Yuan, Ming and Qing courts, a system that lasted from the 13th to the early 20th century and let local peoples keep their customs under central rule. The three sites are Laosicheng in Yongshun (Hunan), Tangya in Xianfeng (Hubei) and Hailongtun in Zunyi (Guizhou), the seats or fortresses of former tusi.

Travel tips

The three sites: Laosicheng (Yongshun, Hunan), Tangya (Xianfeng, Hubei) and Hailongtun (Zunyi, Guizhou) are far apart and must be visited separately.

Laosicheng: in Lingxi town, Yongshun county, Xiangxi prefecture, Hunan, the seat of the Peng chieftains. Jishou and Zhangjiajie have high-speed rail and flights; continue by long-distance bus to Yongshun. The site has areas for palaces, offices, streets, tombs and religious buildings, and a site museum.

Tangya: in Jianshan township, Xianfeng county, Enshi prefecture, Hubei, the seat of the Tan chieftains. Enshi has an airport and high-speed rail. The site has the Jingnan Xiongzhen memorial arch, stone carvings, tombs and building foundations.

Hailongtun: in Gaoping town, Huichuan district, Zunyi, Guizhou; Zunyi has high-speed rail. The fort is built along a ridge with gates and walls, mostly of the Ming Wanli period, and involves some mountain walking.

Time: half a day to a day each; four to five days for all three, in the order Zhangjiajie, Enshi, Zunyi.

Season: spring and autumn are best; summer is humid and rainy, and winter can have icy paths.

Where to stay: in Yongshun, Enshi or Zunyi; only a few guesthouses stand near the sites.

Photo credits: Hailongtun Tusi fortress, Zunyi, Guizhou: xiquinhosilva (CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)

• Hailongtun Guizhou
• Tangya Tusi City Site Hubei
• Laosicheng Site Hunan