Enshi Tusi City
恩施土司城
A reconstructed historic complex based on the Tujia tusi (native chieftain) system, with the Nine-Courtyard Hall, tusi city walls and baishou dance performances. The first stop for learning about Tujia history and culture.
Enshi Tusi City lies in Tuqiaoba, northwest of Enshi city center. Completed in 1998, it is a historic complex themed on the culture of Tujia tusi chieftains. It covers about 300 mu (about 20 hectares), is a national 4A-level scenic area, and is Enshi's main cultural attraction. The tusi system was a hereditary rule imposed by central dynasties in southwest ethnic minority regions during the Yuan, Ming and Qing periods. The Rongmei, Shinan and other tusi families in the Enshi area continued their rule for hundreds of years until the Yongzheng emperor's 'Gaitu Guiliu' reform, which brought these regions under direct imperial administration. The complex is laid out like a tusi government compound. The route runs from the gateway (a nine-tier, three-story memorial archway to Lijun Shrine, a masterpiece of Tujia carving), to a wind-and-rain bridge, to the Nine-Courtyard Hall (a series of courtyards built into the hillside that served as the tusi's office and residence, with 333 rooms, and offering views over the city from the heights), to the tusi city walls (modeled on the Great Wall, with a tower overlooking Enshi), to the White Tiger Hall (dedicated to the White Tiger, a Tujia totem), and finally the bell and drum towers. The site hosts several Tujia folk performances each day, including baishou dance, wedding laments, nuo opera and the welcome gate wine ritual. Visitors can join in the baishou dance. Guided tours help explain the tusi system and Tujia customs. Admission is about 50 yuan, with guided tours extra. Allow about 2 hours. Nearby, Girls' City is about 8 km away, so you could visit Tusi City in the morning and Girls' City in the evening. The Enshi Prefecture Museum (free admission, with Tujia and Ba culture artifacts) is in the city center and can be visited at the same time. Getting there: take a city bus to the Tusi City stop, about 6 km from Enshi Railway Station. A taxi takes about 15 minutes. Notes: the Nine-Courtyard Hall has many steps, so older visitors should take it slowly. Check the scenic area's notices for performance times. The buildings are modern reconstructions, so the value lies in cultural interpretation rather than original artifacts.
Opening hours
08:00–18:00
Nearby sights
- Enshi Prefecture Museum
- Enshi Tujia Nü'er City
- Longlin Palace Cave
- Fengxiangpo Dong Village
- Suobuya Stone Forest
- Xianshan Gongshui, Xuan'en
- Enshi Grand Canyon
- Shizi Pass (Lion Pass) Scenic Area