Sustainable Tourism Observatory of Xidi-Hongcun
Member since
2012
Hosted by
School of Tourism Management, Sun Yat-sen University,
Yi County Government,
Monitoring Centre for UNWTO Sustainable Tourism Observatories
Monitoring area
Yi County, Huangshan City, Anhui Province, China
China has been a major agricultural country since ancient times, and its traditional culture is mainly agrarian. Therefore, most of China's important heritage is preserved in rural areas. However, the rapid modernization is causing the heritage of the countryside to disappear. Two traditional ancient villages, Xidi and Hongcun, have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the only two heritage sites selected in the form of villages among more than 30 heritage sites. The well-preserved status of the two ancient villages also implies their peripheral status and loss of opportunity to develop other industries over the past centuries. Since the 1990s, both communities have been developing tourism, which has now become their pillar industry.
FACTS & FIGURES
|
MONITORING AREA km² |
0.41 |
|
NUMBER OF RESIDENTS 2018 |
2,000 |
|
NUMBER OF VISITORS 2019 |
13,766,000 |
MISSION
Protection of ancient villages and tourism development
CURRENT MONITORING PROCESSES
For ancient village attractions, the impact of tourism development on ancient villages is not only manifested in the tangible architecture, but also in their intangible culture, including farming culture, customs and habits, as well as the lifestyle and livelihood of community residents. The monitoring work in Xidi and Hongcun aims to provide timely feedback to local residents and the government, offer practical suggestions for local tourism development, and to promote the sustainable development of ancient village scenic spots. Through field research, we monitor the impact of human activities on village environment, identify possible problems and challenges in heritage conservation, seek conservation measures to reduce negative impacts, summarize good experiences and explore a sustainable development model of tourism in ancient village heritage site. At the same time, we conduct a survey on the perception, satisfaction and behavioral intention of tourists and community residents, and make targeted suggestions and feedback to the local government.
KEY MONITORING AREAS
Heritage conservation: archiving architectural and landscape changes at heritage sites,
Villagers' attitudes towards tourism,
Tourist Perception,
Comparative Analysis of Hongcun and Xidi,
Reform of Xidi Tourism Service Company,
Garbage System,
Community Resilience,
Basic Development Status of B&B,
Tourism Product Upgrading and Brand Building,
Tourism Commercialization,
Environmental Protection
DID YOU KNOW...
1.Can you imagine a world where food is known for its "stench"? The Stinky Mandarin Fish of Xidi Hongcun, is renowned. Although it smells bad, the fermented fish tastes very fragrant.
2. Zhang Yimou, one of the most important directors of China, once shot his film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in Hongcun.
RESOURCES
CONTACT
Coming soon...