Historical structures from the ethnically diverse Tusi Sites in southwest China are stepping into the pantheon of world cultural treasures.
China gained its 48th World Heritage Site on Saturday when the 39th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, meeting in Bonn, Germany, added the Tusi relics to the coveted list.
China now has the world’s second most UNESCO World Heritage sites, trailing only Italy.
Tusi refers to tribal chieftains governing non-Han ethnic groups in southwest China who were appointed by the central government from the 13th century to the mid-20th century.