New rules for attractions set to boost tourism
Development of cultural and historical areas is urged to increase visitor numbers
Urban entertainment blocks that highlight local culture, history and heritage and have themed tourist attractions are being encouraged under a new government policy.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently issued standards for rating tourist attractions and the establishment of leisure blocks, which will come into effect next month.
Under the policy, precincts should have distinctive cultural themes or geographical features that offer sightseeing, dining, shopping, accommodation and entertainment, and satisfy the leisure needs of both residents and visitors.
The blocks should have effective and unified management, focus on green development and blend in with the local community, the policy said. Local culture or creative arts should constitute at least 40 percent of a precinct’s operations. Emergency response systems — such as firefighting equipment and medical facilities — must also be available.
Tourist centers, toilets and multilanguage road signs should be in place to accommodate both domestic and overseas visitors, the policy said.
Blocks that receive at least 800,000 tourist visits a year will be classified as national level, while those with a minimum of 500,000 visits will be designated as provincial level.
The policy meets both the requirements of the industry and its clients, said Liu Jianming, head of the Tourism Quality Supervision and Management Institute at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
It not only helps the integration of local culture and the tourism industry, but also satisfies the diverse needs of tourists, Liu said.
Special events
Huang Gang has been working with his team on new attractions for visitors at a historical block dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) at the Qingyan ancient town in Guiyang, Guizhou province.
“We’ve launched a couple of themed events before and will refine them to find possible integration with other elements,” Huang said.
Last year, the local authority restored images of Ming warriors and staged a parade featuring Han costumes and traditional performances, which gave tourists a taste of the block’s ancient culture.
Military camps, teahouses and taverns with Ming Dynasty elements were erected, while a Peking Opera, acrobatics, guzheng (Chinese zither) and puppetry performances were staged to spice up the visitor experience for tourists.
Huang believes their initiatives are on the right track and in line with the ministry’s new policy.
Last October, development of national tourism and leisure cities and blocks with distinctive cultural characteristics was proposed as a long-range goal for 2035 and passed at the fifth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China’s Central Committee.
According to the new policy, tourism and leisure blocks should also seek to attract foreign tourists for repeat visits. It also attaches great importance to the development of night tourism and requires that more than 80 percent of business operations stay open till 9 pm during peak tourism seasons.
Liu said that tourism and leisure blocks should tap into their special identities and make full use of their histories, cultural heritage and geological features to attract tourists.
The Qingyan town authority, for instance, has invested in the restoration of historical buildings and temples, and the Ming block development has helped it welcome 1 million tourists since last August.
Capital improvements
Beijing implemented its history and cultural protection regulation at the beginning of this month. Historical blocks, architecture and hutong, or alleys, all fall under the regulation.
Ling Ming, deputy chief of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Cultural Heritage, said the leisure environment in the southern section of Beijing has been upgraded through relocation of cultural relics, restoration work and environmental improvements.
The city will next try to utilize its cultural relic exhibitions, protect its historical blocks and upgrade urban areas to attract visitors, Ling said.
The regulation also encourages historical buildings to house libraries, museums, bookstores and cultural heritage exhibitions.
At 751 D-Park in Beijing’s Chaoyang district, a block featuring trains has been developed to mark its industrial heritage. Three trains with 20 compartments were introduced to the block in 2019, which was once a site for coal hauling.
Yan Mingdan, deputy general manager of the park, said, “We combined the original railway track with the green train cars and built a fashionable block for cultural consumption.”
Along with other industrial relics, such as pipelines, storage tanks and factories, the trains have added to the park’s industrial landscape and managed to draw younger visitors, Yan said. Visitors can enjoy music, food and beverages, watch films in the train compartments and browse in shops offering vintage wares.
The block stages about 500 events a year and attracts 2 million visitors annually, Yan said. The park is now in discussions with well-known businesses to try and settle in the precinct, and more trains will soon be added to the attractions, Yan said.
Liu Min, a professor at the Tourism College of Beijing Union University, said the policy comes at a time when there is a need to transform the domestic tourism market and leisure block development needs to be standardized.