Sustainable Tourism Development of Landscape Heritage in a Rural Community: A Case Study of Azheke Village at China Hani Rice Terraces

Abstract

According to the World Heritage Convention, rural landscapes are evolving cultural landscapes and their heritage and management is a major international concern. The proposal of 'UNESCO World Heritage Sustainable Tourism (WH+ST)' has enlightened different arguments about protection and utilisation of the value of rural landscape heritage. The Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of rural landscapes results from the interaction of nature and humankind. Local community residents are critical for the sustainable tourism development of rural landscape heritage. Landscapes would lose their authenticity and integrity without participation of community residents. At the same time tourism is promoting the economic development of communities, tourism will affect its natural environment and social culture in varying extents. Because of such impacts, rural landscapes are subject to the risk of becoming overly commercialised. In this sense, the discussion will focus on how to achieve balance among the various forces stemming from protection of the OUV of rural heritage, economic development and sustainable community-based tourism. This paper is based on field research at the World Heritage Hani Rice Terraces at Azheke Village (Yunnan Province, China). At this site, the agricultural landscape, architectural design, rural culture, and social traditions have confronted challenges because of the rapid development of the tourism industry soon after designation as a World Heritage Site in 2013. The planning was carried out in respect of three key problems:(1) How to motivate community residents' sense of recognition and honour of the heritage value? (2) How to create the manner and approach for the community residents to participate in rural sustainable tourism? and (3) How to improve the social residents' interests in the course of developing rural heritage tourism? Specific planning measures and suggestions have also been proposed in hopes that community residents take the initiative to protect, utilise and undertake the OUV of the Hani Rice Terraces.

A Dialogue between the Humanities and Social Sciences: Cultural Landscapes and Their Transformative Potential for Social Innovation

“…The strong tension between conservation and development becomes most apparent by example of characteristic local architecture, so-called 'mushroom-shaped houses' (mogu fang 蘑菇房, see Figure 6), many of which have long remained in a serious state of dilapidation. Even in Azheke 阿者科 village, the only village of the present scenic area where the residential built environment is still largely intact, owners took matters into their own hands by illegally constructing new houses at the village entrance [144]. In such situations of high tension between heritage conservation and an improvement of living conditions, the potential of a Structured Democratic Dialogue (SDD) lies in making the concerns of local inhabitants heard more strongly and, subsequently, in revealing unnoticed opportunities for reconciling differing interests of the stakeholders involved.…”

“…where the residential built environment is still largely intact, owners took matters into their own hands by illegally constructing new houses at the village entrance [144]. In such situations of high tension between heritage conservation and an improvement of living conditions, the potential of a Structured Democratic Dialogue (SDD) lies in making the concerns of local inhabitants heard more strongly and, subsequently, in revealing unnoticed opportunities for reconciling differing interests of the stakeholders involved.…”

Determination of Terrace Size and Density Index of Agricultural Terraces in Cittaslow Uzundere using Drone and GIS

“…The unique rural landscapes formed by terraces [64,65] offer the possibility of recreational use [66,67], thereby allowing agricultural terraces to be associated with different forms of tourism. Agricultural terraces constitute a potential for various types of alternative tourism such as agrotourism, eco-tourism, and gastro-tourism, and that potential offers an opportunity for local and regional development [68]. However, it is only possible to take advantage of this opportunity if agricultural terraces are designed in accordance with the basic principles of sustainable tourism.…”