Dai Bin | Seeing the cultural heritage of the ancient town and the endless vitality of tourism

Ancient towns are nostalgic memories in the process of modernization, as well as cultural landmarks in an international perspective, playing a multi format spatial support from urban leisure to rural vacation in the modern tourism industry system. Since the reform and opening up, especially since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, ancient towns such as Wuzhen, Zhouzhuang, Xitang, and Nanxun have attracted a large number of tourists from home and abroad, as well as numerous investment institutions and operating entities. Their layout has expanded from small to large, their competitiveness has increased from weak to strong, and they have explored a unique path for the development of ancient town tourism in China.

Prosperity is not just about reminiscence

Many ancient towns have been historical centers of industry, commerce, and trade. After the development of human civilization entered the agricultural society, people began to choose places with superior geographical locations or abundant natural resources to settle, gradually forming small settlements linked by family or blood relationships, which formed the early form of urban development. With the development of handicrafts and commerce, shops, inns, banks, etc. have emerged, and towns have become centers of industry, commerce, and trade. From Samarkand and Bukhara along the ancient Silk Road to Proven, the trade center of medieval Western Europe, from the Old Town of Lijiang on the Ancient Tea Horse Road to Xitang and Nanxun along the canal, all prospered due to trade. Merchants from all over gather in the ancient town from a contemporary perspective to trade silk, grain, cotton cloth, and handicrafts. In this sense, the ancient town today was also the new city at that time.

The ancient town was also a living space with cultural landmark significance at that time. The developed industrial and commercial trade has brought about foreign goods, as well as the exchange and collision of customs, concepts, and cultures. The frequent commodity trading and social interaction between local residents and foreign merchants have injected rich and colorful cultural life into the ancient town. Ancient towns in history have never been simply geographical spaces, but cultural spaces that carry the life of the city and the memories of its citizens. The ancient town records the former prosperity and fashion, and also nurtures a localized way of life. The traditional cultural space of the ancient town is composed of water town courtyards with white walls and black tiles in Jiangnan, simple hanging foot buildings in the west wind of Sichuan, wok ear walls and arcade buildings in Lingnan, cave dwellings in Shaanxi, and the indigenous people and their way of life who have lived here for generations. It is also an important gathering place for tourism resources. Data shows that 80.7% of ancient town scenic spots are national 4A level or above tourist attractions, of which 13.2% are 5A level scenic spots.

The ancient town is still a tourist destination shared by both hosts and guests. The ancient town provides a bustling commercial environment and a relaxed leisure space for the market that has been living here for generations. With the advent of mass tourism, ancient towns attract people from other countries to relax and enjoy a slow paced leisure life by offering a peaceful and natural ecological environment away from the hustle and bustle of the city, rich and colorful historical and cultural heritage, and a happy life for local residents. According to a survey conducted by the China Tourism Research Institute (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism), 93.4% of respondents have visited ancient towns, and 37.7% of respondents have visited ancient towns more than twice in the past two years. 27.1% of respondents believe that a leisurely living atmosphere is the most attractive factor for tourism in ancient towns, while 23.4% and 20.7% of respondents believe that the architectural style and local specialty cuisine of ancient towns are important factors for choosing to travel there. Nearly half of the respondents believe that relaxing and experiencing the slow life of ancient towns are the main travel purposes.

The culture that is deeply cherished by the heart and soul

And ubiquitous commerce

Ancient town tourism has shifted from focusing on sightseeing in the early days to emphasizing both sightseeing, leisure, and vacation. It has shifted from valuing the protection of architectural style and the inheritance of local culture to emphasizing both tourist sharing and community development. The government and public sector are increasingly paying attention to listening to the voices of local residents and respecting their right to development. They should not only see the accumulation of time from the residents of ancient towns, but also see the future from foreign tourists. Whether it is the new development concept of innovation, greenness, coordination, openness, and sharing, or the practical exploration of sustainable development of ancient town tourism, it is not an easy task. We can learn from the tourism development experience of foreign ancient towns such as Italy's Cinque Terre, Brazil's Blackgold City, and Japan's Kinugawa River. We should also base ourselves on China's national conditions and tourism situation, adapt to local conditions and times, and promote the high-quality development of ancient town tourism in a stable and far-reaching manner.

The production practice, leisure life, and exchange and mutual learning of foreign cultures of the residents have given birth to different types of ancient towns through historical accumulation, such as the northern courtyard type, the northwest residential type, the Jiangnan water town type, the Huizhou ancient village type, the Sichuan Chongqing Shu charm type, the Hunan Guizhou style type, the Lingnan ancient style type, and the Nanzhao ancient village type. To the east and south of the Hu Huanyong Line, 95.7% of the country's ancient town scenic spots are distributed. The six provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Sichuan, and Yunnan, with 14.5% of their land area, gather more than half of the country's high-level scenic towns. Ancient villages, towns, and cities have become important supports for regional tourism development, presenting strong vitality and broad development prospects.

Above the landscape lies life. Mass tourism has entered a new era of comprehensive development, and tourists are more eager to deeply experience local culture. In most cases, what tourists are truly interested in are the unintentional moss in the corners of ancient towns, the fireworks of local residents' breakfast, the cultural atmosphere of children attending school, parents working, and grandparents being raised, rather than the deserted ancient buildings and artificially made bluestone slabs. Without the indigenous inhabitants, ancient towns that carried lifestyles, religious beliefs, and festive customs would lose their vibrant carriers. An ancient town that only left empty nest elderly people and stray dogs as companions would not have a future. Only by retaining the indigenous residents who have a deep sense of belonging to the local area can the authentic cultural background of the ancient town be vividly displayed, and tourists can feel the unique charm and cultural value of the ancient town that sets it apart from other places. We have also noticed that due to multiple factors such as the loss of indigenous residents, investment recovery pressure from rental and sales businesses, and abnormal political performance views of local governments, there has been a trend of product homogenization, excessive commercialization, and short-term benefits in ancient town tourism to varying degrees. More and more tourists believe that there is a serious homogenization phenomenon in domestic ancient towns, with "antique architecture+shops+snacks" almost becoming a standard configuration, with culture in their hearts and business in their eyes, seriously affecting the cultural ecology, quality of life, and sustainable development of the tourism industry in ancient towns.

The residents of ancient towns are the guardians, inheritors, and disseminators of traditional culture and folk customs, and occupy a core position among the stakeholders of ancient town tourism. If their interests cannot be effectively protected, the high-quality development of ancient town tourism cannot be discussed. Only when local residents are willing and capable of participating in the entire process of ancient town tourism planning, development, operation, management, and innovative research and development, have a genuine sense of identification with ancient town tourism, and take responsibility for infrastructure construction and public service improvement, can ancient town tourism have a real future. Local governments and ancient town tourism development institutions adhere to the people-centered tourism development concept, steadily promote the creative inheritance and innovative development of excellent traditional cultures such as ancient town history and intangible cultural heritage, and also promote revolutionary culture and socialist advanced culture, create modern civilization, cultivate new driving forces such as technology, culture, art, and fashion, unleash the creativity of young people, accelerate the construction of a modern tourism industry system, cultivate strong tourism towns, and promote the stable and far-reaching development of ancient town tourism in the new era.

Remember your memories

See what we see

No matter how much economic function and cultural imagination we give to the ancient town, it is first and foremost the living scene and growth space of the indigenous people who have lived here for generations. Houses are for living, convenience stores are for living, small bridges and flowing water are for transportation, and that long green stone street witnesses the youth and love of grandparents. It is precisely because of these strong fireworks and ubiquitous cultural flavors that ancient towns sway like lights in the wind, illuminating the starry sky of history and remembering your memories. History has repeatedly proven, and will continue to prove, that only the high-frequency production, living, and consumption of local residents are the source of vitality for ancient town tourism. We cannot relocate the indigenous people just because we want to develop tourism, otherwise the ancient town may only be a museum of ancient architecture and cultural specimens. This is also why we like the underlying logic of ancient towns in Jiangnan such as Xitang, Xiashi, Nanxun, Zhouzhuang, Qibao, and Mudu, because of their shared lifestyle and embedded development model.

In the new era of ancient town tourism, tourists should see the cultural heritage, and residents should see the future of creation. The experience of world tourism development shows that any tourist destination that can make local residents feel happy and also attract foreign tourists to visit has perfect infrastructure, public services, and commercial environment. The reason why most ancient towns can be preserved is because they have been marginalized in the process of industrialization, losing their influence on the regional economy, and thus losing their influence on young people. Although Luo Dayou was so sad in "Lukang Town" and said, "Taipei is not my home," he can never go back to the town again? It's simple, a space with only beautiful scenery and bustling memories without opportunities for development cannot retain young people. The saying 'leaving hometown will bring homesickness, staying in the countryside will only cause worry' is the truth behind it. To promote the revitalization of ancient towns and the high-quality development of tourism, foreign culture, creativity, and art should be selectively introduced to create unique contemporary culture. We also need to introduce capital, technology, and entrepreneurial teams to attract high-quality employment through high-level economic activities and high-quality living spaces. From the Xitang Liangrang Hotel, a new landmark of Jiangnan water town art, to the literary and artistic masterpieces showcasing the "cultural, Western, and fireworks atmosphere" of Haining Zhimo's hometown through "Blossoming on the Mo", they are all classic examples of the town's rebirth.

In the endless journey, talent is the most beautiful scenery and the most active element of cultural creation. We hope that more ancient towns can leverage their cultural advantages and attract cultural enterprises, artists, and tourism entrepreneurs from home and abroad to settle in and participate in tourism development with a more open attitude. Through institutional innovation, we aim to attract more cultural workers and art enthusiasts to visit and even reside in these towns for a long time. Only by allowing external forces and warm light to shine into ancient life can there be endless vitality and attraction. Otherwise, even if the big red lanterns are hung high every day, how many people would be willing to visit? Not to mention long-term residency. To this end, it is necessary to play a role in tax regulation, encourage indigenous residents to develop homestays, restaurants, shops, and cultural experience new formats on their own homesteads and idle houses, encourage literary, technological, and tourism workers to stay and become new residents of the ancient town, and steadily promote equal rights with indigenous people.

Remembering the memories of the original residents of the ancient town, seeing the future seen by tourists from other places, the peaceful and prosperous life, and the ever evolving culture, is great.

Author | Edited by Dai Bin | Source by Liu Xin | Reproduction by China Tourism Research Institute (Data Center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism) Please indicate the author and source