Tourism, Residents Agent Practice and Traditional Residential Landscapes at a Cultural Heritage Site: The Case Study of Hongcun Village, China

Abstract

The contradiction between tourism development and sustainable heritage is a topic of academic debate. Taking Hongcun village, a UNESCO World Heritage site in China, as a case study, this paper focuses on the role of resident spatial practice and provides the possibility of balance between capital-driven and sustainable development and local culture, which has important implications for the sustainable development of cultural heritage. The study used archival research, non-participatory observations, and semi-structured interviews, following Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice to analyze the practical logic of local residents who transform their dwellings to achieve the aim of landscape sustainability. This study found that in the development of Hongcun tourism, the residential landscape has been adaptively transformed at both the material and non-material levels, due to residents’ habitus and the capital brought in by tourism. This material transformation was mainly manifested in the change of residential function, the courtyard structure, and the alienation of residential space. The non-material transformation was mainly manifested in the relationships between residents and other actors. Residents who tended to conduct protection actions positively were more likely to achieve a sustainable livelihood that contributes to a sustainable cultural landscape. This paper argues that the sustainable development of heritage requires that attention be paid to the positive role of grassroots agents and practices. Bottom-up agency is the key to realizing the adaptation of living heritage to external changes.

How has rural tourism influenced the sustainable development of traditional villages? A systematic literature review

“…Traditional villages possess both communal and heritage attributes [ 63 ]. Although there is extensive research on the conservation and development of heritage sites [ 39 , [64] , [65] , [66] ] sustainable rural tourism with sustainability assessment [ 60 , 61 ], community participation [ 49 ], government interventions [ 67 , 68 ], and spatial planning [ 69 ], there is a lack of research that effectively addresses the dual goals of preserving heritage and promoting community development while also supporting the sustainable development of traditional villages.…”

“…The study of landscape change and continuity examines alterations in physical morphology, functionality, and structure using GIS and remote sensing imagery [ 103 ]. Zuo, Li [ 39 ] underline the importance of resident spatial practice, which provides the opportunity to achieve a balance between the influence of capital and the preservation of local culture.…”

“…Consequently, sustainable tourism development has been approached from a tourism-centered perspective [ 36 ], with an emphasis on ensuring the sustainability of tourism itself [ 37 ]. The conservation of heritage and the long-term growth of traditional villages face difficulties due to the unavoidable transformations caused by tourist activities in these customary settings and the reconstruction of social structures in the human-land relationship [ 38 , 39 ]. Consequently, the examination of sustainable tourism development has failed to thoroughly scrutinize tourism as a strategy for development, although providing recommendations on enhancing the effectiveness of tourism development in local communities [ 34 ].…”

Characteristic analysis of village cultural landscape by Lian Li space information technology and three-dimensional modelling

“…However, with the rapid development of the economy, the contradiction between the expansion of urban space and the protection of traditional settlements has become increasingly prominent, and many conventional settlements with deep heritage and brilliant history with distinctive characteristics and great inheritance value have disappeared into oblivion [13][14][15]. Traditional settlements and their traditional architecture are not renewable; once damaged, they will no longer exist.…”

Sustainable Development Efficiency of Cultural Landscape Heritage in Urban Fringe Based on GIS-DEA-MI, a Case Study of Wuhan, China

“…In 1968, R. J. Pryor explained urban fringe as the fringe built-up areas and suburban areas with significant differences in urban-rural land use, society, and demography. Urban and rural areas are not well-delineated, bounded, or self-sufficient spaces [ 22 ]. During the period of rapid urbanization, the urban fringe area is the area where urban expansion occurs first, and land use change is the most active [ 23 ].…”