Site of the Laosi City

Site of the Laosi City

The Site of the Laosi City is a cultural tourism attraction.

[Site of the Laosi City] refers to the former office site of the Military and Civilian Pacification Commission of Sangzhi, located in Guanwuchang, Chapankou Village, Shatapingsi Township (formerly Huangxi), about 50 kilometers north of the county seat. It was another ancient city of the Tusi (local chieftain) clan of the Xiang family. The historical record states: In the seventh year of the Shaoxing era (1137), “Since the Jingkang Incident in Huguang, bandits had occupied the region… Only five individuals, including Xiang Sisheng, pledged allegiance to the court from the remote mountain valleys, vowing to defend and develop the area. Ultimately, they succeeded in protecting the territory and bringing peace to the people. They were appointed as the Military and Civilian Pacification Commissioners of Sangzhi and other regions in Huguang, overseeing the Miao people and governing the upper and lower Sangzhi areas.” In the fourth year of the Jingyan era (1279), Xiang built a city on the right bank of the upper reaches of the Lishui River’s northern source, in Chapankou, which became known as Laosi City. The rule continued for four generations until Xiang Zhongshan, who relocated the office to the Old Si City due to the remote location.

The entire ancient city is divided into three parts: the palace area, the administrative area, and the residential area. The palace area covers more than 1,400 square meters, featuring a nearly circular city wall and three gates on the north, west, and south sides. Its construction date is preliminarily estimated to be from the Southern Song Dynasty. Excavations reveal a stratified sequence of buildings from the Southern Song to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The administrative area is located south of the palace area and is believed to have been built during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. The city walls here are relatively well-preserved, with the north gate connecting to the palace area, in addition to the south and west gates. Within the city walls, multiple terraced platforms were built along the terrain, with building ruins distributed across these platforms. Ancient streets such as Zhengjie (Main Street), Youjie (Right Street), Zuojie (Left Street), Wulongjie (Fifth Ridge Street), and Yudu Street (Fish Belly Street) still remain, all paved with cobblestones. Surrounding the old city are numerous ancient ruins, tombs, and architectural sites, including the Tusi-era castles of Longtan City, Shanghe City, and Kesha City; the imperial tombs of successive Tusi rulers at Zijin Mountain, Yacaoping, Lotus Seat, and Xiangbi Mountain; as well as historic structures like the Ancestral Hall and the Peng Family Ancestral Shrine, along with relics such as quarries, ancient roads, and stone carvings. Together, they form the broader historical and cultural landscape of Laosi City. The Kesha ancient city site is located on the west bank of Lingxi, north of Laosi City, and is now the seat of the Kesha Township government. According to the , it was built by the Tusi Peng Shiqi during the Ming Dynasty. The terrain of the area features mostly rolling hills and broad valleys, historically serving as a vital economic hub within the Tusi domain. The site lies at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain, which has a relatively gentle slope, and faces east. The remnants of the city wall appear roughly circular, with a diameter of about 100 meters. Some sections are fairly well-preserved, standing over 3 meters high. The center of the ancient city, commonly known as "Guanwuchang," is square-shaped, with most of its platform foundation still intact. Outside the city wall is a stone-lined pond about 100 meters long, connected to the interior by three parallel three-arch stone bridges, each over 3 meters high and tens of meters long, commonly called the "Nine-Arch Bridge." Outside the city, there are also well-preserved ancient streets, Qing Dynasty residences, and the Tusi Hot-Cold Cave. To the east of Laosi City, on the slopes and at the foot of Zijin Mountain, lies an ancient cemetery of the Tujia Tusi. The burial ground stretches 140 meters in length and 110 meters in width, covering an area of 15,000 square meters. Over 50 ancient tombs are arranged in terraces, housing generations of Tusi royal families from the Yuan to the Qing Dynasties. Partial excavations have confirmed that most are vaulted stone-chamber tombs and brick-chamber tombs. In front of the cemetery, there were originally decorative screens, stone statues of humans and horses, though only fragments remain. The Laosi City site preserves a wealth of historical artifacts from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. Further archaeological work will hold significant importance for reconstructing the history of the Tujia people.

Laosi City Village: Laosi City Village…… More detailed information on Laosi City Village++

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Hunan Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units

· Fifth Batch of National Key Cultural Heritage Protection Units