Visiting Enshi China is probably the biggest highlight from my thirteen years of both touring and living in China. There isn’t a place in the world that replicates Enshi’s unique landscapes and beautiful culture. This post will quickly share about Enshi China’s culture, food, and tourist sites.
About Enshi China’s Culture: Tujia and Miao Peoples
Enshi is home to the ethnic groups of Tujia and Miao people. While in Enshi, we predominantly saw Tujia clothing, culture, and tradition being displayed and explained at tourist sites.
Tujia people are very artistic, with music, singing, instruments, and woven patterns being characteristic of their culture. Some of their patterns can be seen on souvenirs at tour shops, either on mugs or scarves.
Their traditional clothes are an entire work of art themselves, especially the headpieces. At Pingshan canyon, you can don a traditional Tujia outfit for a photo-op on the crystalline turquoise rivers.
Another option is that you can rent Tujia clothes at the Tujia daughter village and take photos there. I’ve written about both of these tour sites in this post.
The origins of Tujia people are precisely unknown, but like most of China’s minorities, traces of their existence date back to well over a thousand years ago.
Many sites in Enshi had signs throughout explaining Tujia culture, which I thought was a nice touch. Traditions such as their basket-backpacks are still used by both young and old in the current generation. I thought that was pretty cool.
Enshi China’s Most Beautiful Tourist Sites
Enshi hosts some of China’s most beautiful natural spots. Back in 2020, one of my friends posted photos from her time in Enshi, and for the three years it took for me to get there, I just couldn’t get it off my mind!
Enshi is most famous for its insanely translucent turquoise waters, which can be found at most of its tourist sites.
Pingshan Canyon is probably the most famous spot to see Enshi’s famous waters. But Pingshan Grand Canyon and Shiziguan Scenic area also provide breathtaking views of Enshi’s rivers.
Suoyabu Stone Forest, Tenglong Cave, and Enshi Geocentric Valley will also provide you with views of Enshi’s incredible forests, caves, and stone structures.
More details about the Top 10 Must-See Places in Enshi are here, on this post!
Enshi China’s Local Dishes
Options for food in Enshi are abundant! Their most popular dishes include Hezha, a creamy tofu and veggie dish, fresh roast fish, and cured meat.
While Hezha and fresh roast fish usually come prepared in a specific way, the options for cured meat are endless!
Most restaurants had a long list of cured meat (“la rou”) dishes which were made with various vegetables, eggs, and so on. Pretty much you just find a dish with the veggies you like, and they’ll stir fry it with cured meat.
I’ve written an entire post about Enshi’s best eats, which you can read here!
I hope you enjoyed this quick post about Enshi China! While this is just a starting point for information, I hope that some of my other posts will be helpful to you as you plan your Enshi trip. Be sure to check them out below!
You might also like:
Enshi China Top 10 Must-See Tour Sites
Enshi China Travel Map: The Ultimate Guide
What to Eat in Enshi China: Must-Try Dishes