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A Case Study on Lunang's Tourism Development in the Context Of 19 Local Participation and Cultural Inclusion: A Case Study on Lunang’s Tourism Development in the Context of Policy of Partner Assistance to Tibet1 Yang Minghong, Liu Jianxia, Zhang Yingwei ( Sichuan University, Henan University of Finance and Economics ) The term Lang is a place name, it means “Dragon Valley”, “fairy place to live” in the Tibetan language. In 1911, the Qing dynasty officer Chen Quzhen was posted here, stationed in Lunang Dongjiu. He later described the Lunang area as a place “covered with grass, rocks blocking the way”.2 Since the National Highway 318 was built in 1954, at the altitude of 3,700 meters, Lunang has become the gateway to Bayi town, which is about 80 kilometers from Lunang. The natural beauty of Lunang has made it a tourist town along the Sichuan-Tibet Road Line. In 2012, Guangdong Province, designated by the central government to be the PAT to Tibet（ Chi:duikou yuanzang) provider for Nyingchi, targeted Lunang as a major 1 Research on Mode Optimization of Development Aids Facing Needs of Farmers and Herdsmen, National Foundation of Nature Science (No.71273183); Aluation on Livelihood Policies in Tibet, the Research Foundation of Sichuan University (No.skqy201129). 2 Quzhen, Cheng, Qiu Ye Cheng Meng, LhasaPeople’s Press of Tibet, 1999. (陈渠珍：《艽野尘梦》， 拉萨：西藏人民出版社，1999年出版) 20 China Tibetology No 2, September 2016 Local Participation and Cultural Inclusion ... 21 recipient of its assistance. According to local officials, Lunang was to be built as an “international tourist town”. Accordingly, Guangdong Province invested ¥790 million through its Tibet Funds, while also bringing in the Poly Group, the Hengda Group, the Pearl River Investment Group and the China Tourism Investment Group etc., with a total investment of 1.7 billion yuan. The total investment of more than 2.5 billion yuan project covers an area of 10 square kilometers: east to the Tashikang Village-Namai village tourist road, south to Na mulin village, West to the Dong Jiu Village Farm field, and North to Tashikang Village.3 In May 2015, our research group conducted research into this project. The first question our research focused on was: to what extent were local people involved in the project? Was this project inclusive of local culture or not? We raised these questions because it is very common in China that a tourism development project separates itself from local culture, both in the interior provinces and in border minority areas. We have seen that, in the process of tourism development, there is the very real - sometimes unavoidable - possibility that local culture and local participation are neglected. More striking is that, in the case of the “Lunang International tourist town” which is a major aid project from Guangdong, the “outsider” is not only the financial provider but also the major developer. One hypothesis we aimed to test was if this fact would result in a low level of local participation, a lack of respect for the local culture, and a lack of inclusiveness of local culture. In other words, our hypothesis was that, compared to tourism development projects in general, Lunang international tourist town project might be particularly prone to these issues because of the important role of outsider development companies. The next question in our research was: what are factors which impacts local participation in the tourism development project? The purpose of this paper is to investigate local participation and cultural inclusion in the development Lunang international tourist town. We argue that tourism development project is an economic development process that depends on inclusion of culture factors, and it must be implemented on the basis of respect for the local culture. Cultural inclusion needs to be achieved through the participation of local residents. I. Background The background of the Lunang tourism project includes the feasibility of the project, the necessity of local economic restructuring after the state’s logging ban, and the central government’s strategy of building productive industries in Tibet through developmental assistance. 3 http://www.doc88.com/p-2052060244479.html 20 China Tibetology No 2, September 2016 Local Participation and Cultural Inclusion ... 21 1. Lunang’s Tourism Value Situated in deep forests, Lunang is a typical meadow corridor on high-altitude mountains. The area is about 15 kilometers long, with an average width of 1 km. Known as the Switzerland of the Orient, Lunang is rich in tourism assets, including a variety of landscapes of glaciers, mountains, alpine valleys, meadows, forests, rivers, lakes, plants and animals. It is surrounded by the Yigong National Geological Park, Lunanglinhai, Namjagbarwa, the De Mu temple ruins, the Di Mu cliff inscriptions and dozens of beautiful natural landscapes. What is more, within two hours’ drive eastward, one can arrive at Bomi to enjoy the site of Caccin, the ZePu, GuoRuo glaciers, westward up to Gongbujiangda (Kong-po rgya-mdav) to enjoy boating on the lake, southward up to the Mainling (sman-gling) county to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Nan Yi valley. At the end of the tourism line that connects Wuzhai village of Lunang township to Mirui, Lunang is well connected with the other tourism lines of east Nyingchi county. Lunang’s tourism value is not only reflected in its natural landscape, but also in the convenience of transportation and of providing a “gateway” to Bayi Township and Lhasa. There are 13 villages under Lunang’s jurisdiction, with 288 households and a total population of 1333 people. The local people are mainly engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, the collection of forest mushrooms and other economic activities. The town is famous for a local specialty called “stone pot chicken” and local products such as various fungi. Travelers on the Sichuan-Tibet road eat and buy some special local products. Since 2000, villagers in Lunang and surrounding villages such as Tashikang, Norbu, and Dongbacai, have opened family hotels. After 2006, Lunang tourism has experienced considerable growth, with 70,000 tourists in 2012, 80,000 in 2013, and 90,000 in 2014. 2. Ban on Logging Logging bans are a major source of pressure to economic restructuring in Nyingchi, including Lunang. Nyingchi is the site of one of the largest natural forests in our country; logging was one of the important income sources for the local people. In 1998, Tibet started to implement the logging ban policy, and the former logging-based economy began to fade in the eastern Tibetan region. Local farmers and herdsmen’s forestry-based livelihoods have changed. In 2003, in order to further protect the ecological environment of Nyingchi, the local government issued a policy of total ban on logging, and gave subsidies to the people who lived in the forest region. Forest logging bans have made local government and residents lose an important source of income, but the rapid development of Nyingchi tourism has provided an 22 China Tibetology No 2, September 2016 Local Participation and Cultural Inclusion ... 23 alternative opportunity for development. Related statistics show that compared to 44000 people 10 years ago, in 2014 the number of tourists in Nyingchi area4 reached 0.62 million people. In 2014, the number of tourists in Nyingchi has reached 2.8 million people, netting 2.6 billion yuan in tourism revenue.5 Nyingchi’s tourist industry also brings considerable income to the local farmers and herdsmen. In 2014, people who engaged in tourism services in Nyingchi has exceeded 10,000, promoting local employment for more than 30,000. Among them, farmers and herdsmen involved in tourism reached more than 4,600 people, By opening family hotels and farmhouse, providing tourism related services and, selling local specialties, they have become part of the tourist industry, with annual per capita income reaching around 4,800 yuan.6 In this context, the local government and residents were encouraged to actively seek alternative industries after the logging ban. A favorable ecological environment, rich local culture and convenient transportation led local governments and residents to expand on tourism. 3. Building Productive Sectors in Tibet The Third Central Work Forum on Tibet, held in 1994, initiated the national policy of developmental assistance to Tibet. Under this policy, an interior province would be responsible for the development of its assigned target sub-regions in Tibet,, for providing aid and for periodic rotation of developmental personnel. Guangdong province was assigned to provide PAT to Nyingchi, specifically “four counties and two farms” (Nyingchi County, Bomi County, Medog County, Zayul County, Zayul farm, Yigong farm). From 1994 to 2014, Guangdong Province provided two decades of assistance to Nyingchi, including a total of 2.912 billion yuan in investment and 844 projects, such as municipal programs, transformation of rural areas according to the government’s development objectives, grassroots governance, science-education- culture-health sectors and local specialty industries.7 Since the seventh round of Guangdong’s assistance for Tibet (July 2013), it intensified capital investment in Nyingchi, with a goal of 1.48 billion yuan and 116 aid projects.8 Guangdong is one of the first provinces to implement reform and opening policies in post-Mao China. Hence its development is at the forefront of China. Compared to other places in China, Guangdong is most reform and market oriented. At the same 4 Nyingchi Prefecturte, consisting of Nyingchi County, Gongbo Gyamda County, Mailing County, Zayul County, Nang County, was changed into Nyingchi Municipality in 3 April 2015. 5 http:// xz.people.com.cn/n/2015/0710/c138901-25539189.html 6 http:// travel.ifeng.com/news/detail_2014_12/08/39710172_0.shtml 7 http:// xz.people.com.cn/n/2014/0918/c138901-22359639.html 8 http:// www.linzhinews.com/new/lzyw/3616.shtml 22 China Tibetology No 2, September 2016 Local Participation and Cultural Inclusion ..
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