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.

Lu Tu Simen is located 65 kilometers southwest of Yongdeng County, Lanzhou City. It is a palace-style ancient building complex that is relatively intact in many toast buildings on the borders of Gansu and Qinghai. It consists of three parts: Lu Tu Si Men, Miao Yin Temple and Toast Garden. Since the Ming Dynasty, Liancheng has become the center of the Lutu regime, and it has become a major town in the Gansu-Chongqing grounding belt in the northwest. Lu Tusi is centered on Liancheng, covering many counties and districts in Gansu, with a jurisdiction area of 9,000 square kilometers. The toasts of the past generations worked hard and managed this place. They made great contributions to the Ming and Qing dynasties and made certain contributions to the stability and national unity of the northwest border. Lu Tusi is located in the north facing south, surrounded by mountains and waters, and has a beautiful natural environment. The layout of the main building is symmetrical and rigorous. There are ancestral halls, shrines, Yan Xitang, lobby, Yimen, six doors, archways and galleries and annexes. On both sides of the east and west, there are the study hall, the palace, the warehouse, the temple and the small church. Throughout the whole picture, the building is steep and clear, with a strong national style.