Enshi Travel Guide

Chinese Name: 恩施土家族苗族自治州 (ēn shī tǔ jiā zú miáo zú zì zhì zhōu)
Population: 4,020,400
Area: 24,000 square kilometers (9,266 square miles)
Location: in the southwest of Hubei Province, central China
Administrative Division: 6 counties (Jianshi, Badong, Xuan'en, Xianfeng, Laifeng, Hefeng); 2 county-level cities (Enshi, Lichuan)
Area Code: 0718
Zip Code: 445000
GDP (2018): CNY 87.095 billion (USD 13.162 billion)
Nationalities: Tujia, Miao, Dong, Bai, Mongolian, Hui

Situated in the southwest region of Hubei Province, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is adjacent to Chongqing to the north and west, Hunan to the south and in the neighborhood of Shennongjia Nature Reserve to the northeast and Yichang to the east. Enshi is a green city suitable for tourism all year round with a pleasant climate and a high forest coverage rate of 70%. There are 28 ethnic minorities in this city and visitors can appreciate ethic architecture, local customs and festivals.

Magnificent Tujia ethnic architecture complex can be enjoyed in the Site of Tangya Tusi Domain and Dashuijing Architecture Group. Nverhui, also known as the Tujia Valentine's day is held on July 17 of the lunar calendar when Yong Tujia girls gather to find the right person or date the right person by singing. Visitors can also see the breathtaking canyon, experience exciting rafting and explore caves in this city. Besides, Enshi's Exi Iron Mine is one of the four largest iron mines in China, with proven reserves of 1.3 billion tons and predicted reserves of 4 billion tons. Enshi also has the largest independent selenium deposit in the world.

 Site of Tangya Tusi Domain,  also known as the Tangya Tusi Ancient City is a world cultural site. It is the largest and best-preserved Tusi site in the ethnic minority regions of southwest China. It is a witness of the Tusi system, a hereditary political system put forward by feudal emperors in ancient China.
 
 Dashuijing Architecture Group is located 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of downtown Lichuan. It was the former residence of local Li family, a notable clan during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). Covering an area of 24,000 square yards (20,067 square meters), it consists of Manor of Li Family, Ancestral Temple, and Messuage of Li Gaiwu. Buildings there reflect both Tujia architectural features and western style.
 
 Enshi Grand Canyon, also called Mufu Grand Canyon, is about 40 miles from Enshi downtown. It is famous for Yunlong Ground Fissure, the cliffs on two sides of which are formed in two different periods, and Seven Star Village, where visitors can appreciate stones of various shapes. The local residents here are mainly Tu people, so you can also learn some interesting customs and culture of this ethnic group here.
 
 Qingjiang Chuangtan: Chuangtan refers to the section between the downtown Enshi to Fenshuihe Bridge of the Qingjiang River. Drifting along the river, there are forty-eight rapids in total, meanwhile, visitors can admire the beautiful scenery on the river banks and experience the folk customs of Tujia ethnic minority. After six hours drifting, they will be taken back to Enshi City by bus. Every April to October is the best time to visit Chuangtan.
 
 Yumu Village:Situated to the west of Lichuan City, the village is still inhabited by five hundred Tujia people. The gate building of the stockaded villages is constructed on a cliff. There are ten tombs of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and several other ancient buildings.
 
 Tenglong Cave is a cave group 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from downtown Lichuan. It consisted of a dry cave and a water cave. The Qingjiang River becomes an undercurrent while running though the cave. The dry and water caves are only separated by a wall. According to the on-site investigation by experts from home and abroad, Tenglong Cave is praised to be the largest karst cave in China.
 
Other Scenic Spots: Xingdoushan Nature Reserve

How to Get to Enshi

Enshi Xujiaping Airport is about 3mi (4.5km) from the city proper, mainly operating flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Xiamen and some other cities. Bus is the most important vehicle for the prefecture's transportation. There are three main bus stations operating in the city: Wuyang Bus Station in Wuyangba, and the other two in Qingjiang Hotel and Foreign Trade Bureau in Dongfeng Road.

Enshi bears a subtropical mountain climate distinctly influenced by monsoon. Weather there is humid and moderate all year round. The city is seldom bothered by extreme heat in midsummer and chilliness in midwinter. It is usually foggy and rainy. With complex landform and an average altitude around 1,000 meters (3,281 feet), temperature varies greatly as the height and terrain change. The annual average temperature of regions between 300-1800 meters (984-5,906 feet) above the sea level maintains around 17.4C-7.8C (63.3F-46F).
 
 When to Go: It is best to avoid traveling to Hubei Province in July and August for the sultry weather, and for Enshi, April and May are the best periods to visit.

 History: The history of Enshi can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770BC-476BC) as the domain of Bazi Kingdom. Through thousand years of changes, the present territory of the city was basically fixed up in 1925. It was called Exi (Western Hubei) Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture and changed to be Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture ten years later.
 
 Geographical Features: The prefecture stands in the extension of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. Southwest-to-northeast mountain ranges of Wushan, Qiyue, Wuling and Dalou zigzag through the prefecture. The north, southeast and northwest areas are higher in altitude and the terrain slopes downward to the south and central regions.
 
 Special Local Products: raw lacquer, herb medicine, tung oil, tobacco leaves, tea.