The core archaeological zone of Laosicheng — the capital of the Peng clan Tusi chieftains from 1135 to 1724 — covers over 250,000 square metres along the Lingxi River in western Hunan. UNESCO inscribed it in 2015 as part of the "Tusi Sites" designation, describing it as the largest, earliest, and best-preserved Tusi capital in China. Excavations have revealed the full complexity of a functioning administrative city: palaces, temples, a grid of paved streets, drainage systems, marketplaces, and defensive walls with towers.
The visible ruins include the Hall of the Patriarch, chieftain tombs of various periods, memorial arches, and the remains of the main administrative complex. Bronze bells, carved stone horses, and elaborate architectural fragments have been recovered during excavation and are displayed in the on-site museum. The setting — forested hills, a river bend, cultivated valley fields — is beautiful. The site requires a guide or audio guide to make sense of; without context, many of the ruins look simply like large stones. The three to four hours needed for a thorough visit is well spent.