A hospitable nation (Enshi Tujia)

Understanding the ethnic customs of Enshi starts with Enshi Tusi City. 🌇🗻 Enshi Prefecture, home to 27 ethnic minorities, has lost much of its ethnic color over the course of history, but fortunately, these attractions still retain the pure genes of ethnic minorities. ☘️🍀 🌻🌻 Since the Yuan Dynasty, Enshi has implemented the Tusi system. The Tusi was equivalent to a local emperor, and gradually withdrew from the historical stage with the implementation of the "Gaitu Guiliu" policy. 🪺🍁🍂 Under this system, which lasted for hundreds of years, the Tusi cultural system also left behind rich tombs, sites, and cultural relics. Some of the unearthed cultural relics can be explored at the Enshi Prefecture Museum. To understand the palace of the local emperor at that time, Tangya Tusi City is the only remaining site within Enshi Prefecture. The only complete above-ground building that remains at the Tangya Tusi City site is the Jingnan Xiongzhen Archway, which is a landmark of Tangya Tusi City. 🎋🌿🌿🍀 In addition to relying on natural mountain dangers and the natural barrier of the Tangya River, the Tusi City also built walls around the perimeter. Inside the city, there is a road system of "three streets and eighteen alleys" and 30 courtyards such as small yamen and large temples. A single Tusi tomb covers more than 400 square meters, showing the prosperity and luxury of the time. 🍂🐚🍂🌴 As the main ruling system of the southwestern ethnic minorities, the final demise of the Tusi City remains an unsolved mystery. 🌲🐾🐉🐲 The incompleteness of Tangya Tusi City is perfected in Enshi Tusi City, which can be considered the best reconstructed Tusi architectural complex to date. 🌲🐾🌴 In the city, not only is there a reconstructed Tusi imperial palace with nine halls, but also Tujia residential stilted buildings and bell and drum towers used for worship and military defense. The city wall, over 2000 meters long, protects the citizens inside like the Great Wall. Climbing the city wall offers a panoramic view of modern Enshi City. ☘️🍂🍂 The most worth exploring in the entire Tusi City is the Nine Halls. Not only is the number of pillars and doors extremely particular, but the pure mortise and tenon joint technology used also makes people admire the wisdom of the ancients. Two performances are held every day, allowing visitors to experience the enthusiasm of the Tujia people and the culture of mountain songs.