China gained its 48th World Heritage Site on July 4 when the 39th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, meeting in Bonn, Germany, added the Tusi Chieftain Sites to the coveted list.

China now has the world’s second-most UNESCO World Heritage sites, trailing only Italy.

Tusi refers to the tribal chieftains who governed ethnic groups in southwest China appointed by the central government from the 13th century to the mid-20th century. The Tusi system reached its zenith during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).