With the study of tusi ( native of-ficials in imperial China ) becoming a hot topic in recent years , tusi heritage has grabbed the atten-tion of academic circles and government .Howev-er, there are no specific discussions yet on how to fast track for applying for World Heritage for tusi heritage towns .Hence , by taking Yongshun Old Tusi Town in Hunan as a case study , and relying on the historical facts of the discovery of the value of tusi heritage, this article tries to uncover the e-nigma of the Old Tusi Town from a process of five stages, including local archaeological excavation , universities ’ investigation and research , important media reports, large conferences organized by aca-demic circles together with government , and the government ’ s final decision of applying for world heritage .This article tries to provide some effective service for applying for World Heritage status for tusi heritage in western China.