[Photos: Left - tomb at Tangya Site. Top Right - ethnic pebble pattern at Laosicheng Site. Lower Right - barbican at Hailongtun Fortress]

An empire can only grow so much until the people at the peripheries felt discontented and neglected by the central government. Maintaining control need more than military prowess. Governing an area so large and with multitude of ethnicities makes it even extra difficult. So, if you are the emperor of a multi-ethnic and vast empire in the 13th century, what would you do to exert control on your dominion?

China as we know today is shaped by how dynastic emperors kept their grip to power all the way from imperial center in the capitals. Since the Yuan Dynasty (13th century) to early Qing Dynasty (20th century), the emperors extended their influence over ethnic minorities by legitimizing the tribal rule. They made the tribal leaders as hereditary rulers and established the Tusi System. The system granted political autonomy,  retained the ethnic identity  and at the same time allowed the central administration exerted its leadership.

The three inscribed sited represented the Tusi Domains in southwest China. As the center of military and political affairs, these sites reflected the system of governance over the peripheries  which was recognized under criterion 3. Spatial layout of these sites showed the imperial Chinese administration and retained cultural traditions of the ethnic minorities, illustrating OUV of criterion 2.

All three sites illustrated a distinctly Chinese imperial management of the ethnic minorities - and these are clearly evident on the preserved relics. Each site provided a unique testament of the cultural interchange, complemented each other, and as a whole told a strong story of the Tusi system.

Laosicheng [Visited 8 Jun 2019]

Laosicheng was an easy daytrip from Zhangjiajie with multiple buses going to Yongshun, where local buses to the sites were available. I unfortunately visited the site during a torrential rain. Upon arrival at Yongshun, I had no choice but to charter a cab for 300 RMB. It included a roundtrip transfer and an hour to see the site. With the heavy rain and limited time, I was only able to explore the main city area. But it was enough to appreciate the site

The best-preserved example of the highest rank Tusi System of governance, Laosicheng was ruled by the Peng clan for centuries.  Cultural interchange between imperial China and Tujia customs were evident from the paved streets and layouts of the administrative areas. Streets were decorated with pebble patterns (triangles, diamonds, lines) and were distinctive features of Tujia nationality. Remains of the administration halls and other surviving relics illustrated the patterns of imperial influences.

Tangya [Visited 12 Jul 2021]

Tangya Site seemed to be isolated. But it can easily be combined with a trip to Shennongjia WHS or with the Three Gorges TWHS. I originally planned to take a local bus from Enshi to Xianfeng. But with last minute change on my Shennongjia trip, I lost half a day which was reserved for the commute. I ended up chartering a cab for the roundtrip at a whooping 1200 RMB, on the meter. One way ride from Enshi took two hours. (An alternative visit plan is to combine this site with Zhangjiajie. There is now a 2-hour fast train connection between it with Xianfeng. Local buses are available in Xianfeng to take directly close to the site.)

It was also raining hard during the two-hour drive to the site. Luckily, the sky cleared up when I arrived at 4PM. I had over an hour to explore the site and I was the last visitor before gate closed.

Tangya was a representative of Tusi domain of the lower rank. It was ruled by the Qin clan in 14th century. Like Laosicheng, the interchange between the imperial and the tribal was quite evident on the relics - including the Memorial Archway, several tombs, boundary walls and ruins of administrative area.

Hailongtun [Visited 23 Jul 2021]

I visited Hailongtun as part of my WHS/TWHS sweep across western Guizhou and Sichuan. Zunyi city was the main base and Zunyi Airport (ZYI) is well connected to major cities. I chartered a cab from the airport for 400 RMB, included over 2 hours wait for site-seeing and dropped off at Zunyi Bus Station.

Hailongtun Fortress was very different from the other two sites. A representative of a military Tusi domain, it was ruled by Yang clan in 13th century. The fortress is perched on top of a mountain, compared to the relatively low terrain of Laosicheng and Tangya. The hike up included walking through historic paths or high-step staircases that were carved on the ravine.  The fortifications and barbicans encircled most of the site and followed similar pattern with those in central China. The stone gateways had elaborate patterns distinctive of the ethnic minority culture.