The Ancient Tusi Capital of Laosi City

The Ancient Tusi Capital of Laosi City

The Ancient Tusi Capital of Laosi City is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Laosi City is located in Sicheng Village, Macha Township, about 20 kilometers east of the county seat. Originally named Fushi City, this ancient town is also known as Sicheng or Laosi City because it served as the capital during the 800-year rule of the Tusi (native chieftain) dynasties. During the Tusi period, Fushi City was the political, economic, and cultural hub of the ancient Xizhou region and thrived in prosperity. Local legend says that Laosi City was divided into an inner city and an outer city, featuring a crisscrossing network of eight streets and ten lanes, densely populated with households and bustling market shops. Historical records describe “three thousand households within the city and eight hundred outside,” and refer to it as “a major town among the Five Streams and a frontier city stretching thousands of miles.” Qing Dynasty scholar Peng Shiduo praised it in his “Bamboo Branch Lyrics”: “In Fushi City, brocade abodes abound, / By the Tusi king’s palace ripples resound. / Myriad red lanterns, layers of folk, / A tapestry of hand-waving song unfolds.”

Many historical ruins remain in Laosi City, making it a valuable cultural site for tourists, experts, and scholars to explore the history and culture of the Tujia ethnic group. Major sites include the Ancestral Temple, the Peng Clan Ancestral Hall, the Tusi Meritorious Governance Stele, the Yinan Memorial Archway, the Tusi Underground Palace, and the Tusi Ancient Tomb Cluster.

Address: Sicheng Village, Laosi City, Yongshun County, Xiangxi Prefecture, Hunan

Opening Hours:

8:00–18:00

Transportation:

From Zhangjiajie Bus Station, take a bus to Yongshun (¥25 per person), departing from 7:00 to 16:30 every 30 minutes; from Jishou Bus Station, take a bus to Yongshun, departing at 7:00 and hourly thereafter. From downtown Yongshun, take a minibus directly to Laosi City.

Ticket:

Free

Sicheng Village: Sicheng Village, Lingxi Town, Yongshun County

Laosi City is located in Sicheng Village, Lingxi Town, about 19 kilometers east of Yongshun County. Originally named Fushi City, this ancient town is also known as Sicheng or Laosi City because it served as the capital during the 800-year rule of the Tusi (native chieftain) dynasties. During the Tusi period, Fushi City was the political, economic, and cultural hub of the ancient Xizhou region and thrived in prosperity.

Local legend says that Laosi City was divided into an inner city and an outer city, featuring a crisscrossing network of eight streets and ten lanes, densely populated with households and bustling market shops. Historical records describe “three thousand households within the city and eight hundred outside,” and refer to it as “a major town among the Five Streams and a frontier city stretching thousands of miles…” More details on Sicheng Village ++

Further Reading:

· China National Third-Class Museum