Preserving a slice of heaven
Updated: 2016-11-09 07:49
By Wang Kaihao(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
The Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the most important Tibetan Buddhism monastery in Yunnan, is known as the Little Potala Palace. [Photo provided to China Daily] |
"If villagers build new houses, we also demand that the architecture is harmonious with the environment of the whole village."
When more bars, karaoke and stores become common in China's traditional villages to attract visitors, rural tourism can become little more than an extension of urban entertainment.
"Tourism should appreciate the values of the countryside and treat them with respect," Liu Shouying, an economics professor at Renmin University of China in Beijing, told a recent rural tourism forum in Shangri-La. "Many tourism planners simply transplant what they have in cities to countryside, which leads to mushrooming real estate projects, which is harmful.
"It's crucial to find something unique in agrarian culture, like traditional craftsmanship, to offer different experiences for tourists," Liu says.
But rural tourism should avoid being overwhelmingly dependent on scenic spots, some professionals say.
Xiagei is the nearest village to Potatso National Park in Shangri-La. The park is renowned for its meadows, forests and lakes. Founded in 2006 as the first national park in the Chinese mainland, it is part of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
- Midnight vote in tiny New Hampshire town kicks off
- Swedish prosecutor says Assange interview set for Nov 14
- UK preparing legislation to trigger Brexit, confident of deadline
- Park agrees to accept parliament-nominated prime minister
- Chinese voters hold heated debates
- Summit of Climate Conscience kicks off in Morocco
- Premier Li visits the State Hermitage Museum
- Hogwarts-like assembly hall attracts visitors
- 50,000 people set new Guinness square dance record
- Top 10 congested cities in China
- The final take: Trump vs Hillary
- Want to experience weightlessness? Try this ride
- 15,000 paintings, 5,000 candidates, one test
- Creating waves with stunts
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
US election rhetoric unlikely to foreshadow future US-China relations
'Zero Hunger Run' held in Rome
Trump outlines anti-terror plan, proposing extreme vetting for immigrants
Phelps puts spotlight on cupping
US launches airstrikes against IS targets in Libya's Sirte
Ministry slams US-Korean THAAD deployment
Two police officers shot at protest in Dallas
Abe's blame game reveals his policies failing to get results
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |