Qianjiang Tujia Thirteen Villages

　　The Qianjiang Tujia Thirteen Villages are located in the Banjiaxi River Basin in the northern part of Xiaonanhai Town, Qianjiang District, Chongqing, about 41 kilometers from downtown Qianjiang and approximately 320 kilometers from Chongqing City. They feature China’s first Tujia ethnic ecological museum, which consists of the Wuling Mountain Folk Custom Ecological Museum Exhibition Center and thirteen naturally distributed mountain villages built along the hills. The villages are nestled against the mountains, shaded by bamboo and trees, and embraced by streams, with golden pheasants, egrets, goats, and monkey groups inhabiting the area year-round.

　　Beside Xiaonanhai, the hidden gem in the deep mountains of Qianjiang, the Banjiaxi River meanders gently. Along its course are thirteen Tujia mountain villages, mostly clustered with stilted wooden houses. These villages are built along the contours of the hills, shaded by bamboo and trees, and embraced by streams, with golden pheasants, egrets, goats, and monkey groups living here throughout the seasons.

　　The Banjiaxi Tujia Thirteen Villages are currently the largest and most beautiful cluster of original Tujia settlements in China. They embody a profound accumulation of Tujia architectural culture, farming culture, and ethnic traditions, integrating natural resources, cultural heritage, and canyon landscapes.

　　This area is home to an ancient yet vibrant ethnic group—the Tujia people. They have lived for generations in the deep mountain valleys, with little contact with the outside world.

　　To this day, an ancient and unique cultural tradition continues here—distinct customs, unique folk literature, highly ethnic music and dance, and rare crafts. These elements are not only distinctive but also naturally integrated as one.

　　The Shuai Family Manghao trumpet by the Apeng River has been passed down for about 220 years. Made of brass, the trumpet consists of three main parts: the mouthpiece, the horn tube, and the sound outlet. Initially used for signaling during military drills, work supervision, and giving orders, it is now mainly used for weddings, funerals, ceremonies, and celebrations. Today, the Longtian Shuai Family Manghao Trumpet has been successfully included in the second batch of Chongqing Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage.

　　Marriage within the family is not allowed, and intermarriage with the surrounding Han and Miao ethnic groups is more common. The wedding process is rather complex. After a couple confirms their romantic relationship, both sets of parents must deliberate repeatedly and give their consent.

　　During the wedding, the bride cries out loud, expressing her gratitude for her upbringing and her sorrow at leaving her family in detail to her close relatives, accompanied by special wedding lament songs.

　　The Tujia people regard building a new house as the foundation for having descendants, thus considering it a sacred task. Whenever someone builds a new house, relatives and neighbors come to help without pay—only food is provided—this is called "working for free." The celebration day is when the central beam of the house is installed, and relatives and friends come to offer gifts and congratulations, known as "toasting the beam-raising wine." During the beam installation, two singers or master carpenters are invited to praise the beam. Once the beam is placed on the roof, the praisers climb up the ladder, one carrying a wine pot and the other a tea tray with chopsticks, wine cups, cured meat, and glutinous rice cakes.

　　The Tujia Thirteen Villages celebrate numerous traditional festivals with grand and unique festivities. Through these events, they worship the Ox King, ancestors, and mountain deities, praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests, freedom from disease, and the safety of loved ones in the coming year.