Off-the-Beaten-Path Self-Drive Destination | The Northwest's Little Forbidden City: The Former Site of the Lu Tusi Official Residence

Located in Yongdeng County, Lanzhou City, 600 years ago, Kublai Khan's great-great-grandson Tuohuan surrendered to the Ming Dynasty on the banks of the Datong River, a tributary of the Yellow River. The imperial court appointed him as Tusi (native chieftain) and settled him in Liancheng. After expansions and renovations by successive Tusi, the existing buildings were expanded during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty by the fifteenth generation Tusi. The site now covers nearly 40,000 square meters, with a building area of nearly 9,000 square meters. The entire architectural complex faces south with a north orientation, with several courtyards along the central axis, forming a straight line through the connected courtyards, highlighting the grandeur and majesty of the estate. The total area of the buildings is 33,000 square meters, featuring 'thirty-six courtyards and seventy-two gates'. The complex includes the official residence, Qinyuan Garden, a flower garden, Miaoyin Temple, Xianjiao Temple, and the Leitan Altar, among others, all complete and in place. With a layout similar to the royal palaces in Beijing, it has earned the nickname 'The Little Forbidden City of the Northwest'. It is one of the most well-preserved Tusi buildings existing today, incorporating architectural features of Buddhism, Taoism, and Tibetan Buddhism, and represents a fusion of Han culture with the culture of ethnic minorities.