A model of deep ecotourism development and its empirical study

Ecotourism requires the harmony of all factors involved in tourism system for a multilateral benefit. Based on such cognition, a concept of deep ecotourism development is put forward which includes two connotations: on the one hand, it should give prominence to the display of the eco-culture of the tourist destination and tourists' eco-experience, in which way the development behavior on the tourist destination and the tourists' behavior will be regulated; on the other hand, it implies the deep harmony among tourist entrepreneurs and tourists, the local governments and the local residents, as well as tourist activities and the ecological environment in the tourism development for the multilateral benefit of every element involved and sustainable tourism development. The common sense is that the degrees in a certain tourism destination will differ and that consequently four levels of ecotourism are divided - very shallow ecotourism, shallow ecotourism, deep ecotourism and very deep ecotourism. To move shallow ecotourism toward deep one, two models of "four subjects and two wings" and "connecting the two wings" of deep ecotourism development system are introduced to make ecotourism industry favorable to the display of eco-culture and the sustainable development of the destination community. With the two models, a case study of ecotourism development in Louguantai National Forest Park was made as a demonstration. The ultimate purpose is to build an ideal new Shangri-La.

Clean Production and Ecological Industry:A Key to Eco-city Development

Eco-city development is a healthy process towards sustainable development, within the carrying capacity of local ecosystem through changing production mode, consumption behavior and decision instrument based on ecological economics and system engineering. The key to its planning is an ecological integration to make trade-off between economic wealth and environmental health, between material and spiritual civilization, between natural and human eco-cybernetics. Integration, demonstration, citizens’ participation and scientists’ and technician’s catalyzing are the key instruments for the implementation of the ecocity plan. "Clean production" and "ecological industry" are key elements in comprehensive development towards an eco-city. Beyond the technical and management questions, how to interlink production, consumption and reduction at the local and regional level, the spatial and urban dimension should be considered in order to perform an integrative urban eco-space.

Building national eco-cultural protection areas and the Xiangxi practice in Hunan Province

Since 2007,the Chinese government has initiated the building of national eco-cultural protection areas(NECPAs),thereby embarking on a significant transformation of the model of intangible cultural heritage(IC H)protection in China.To understand the origin and outputs of this policy,this paper demonstrates the context of China's NECPAs.It proposes a conceptual NECPA framework that mainly features regional overall ICH protection.This is followed by an examination of the case of Xiangxi in Western Hunan as a pilot zone for China’s eco-cultural protection.Xiangxi has performed much related work to promote NECPAs and made great progress in regional overall ICH protection.This insight suggests that there are benefits and costs associated with promotion of China's NECPAs and regional overall ICH protection.Despite the advantages of institutional innovation,the unexpected side effects actually undermine the success of plan implementation.

Values and Conservation of Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System as a GIAHS Site

Agri-cultural Heritage Systems（AHS） have not only various values but also important enlightening roles for modern agriculture.With agro-scientific and technological progress,the traditional agriculture that has lasted for thousands of years is declining gradually,thus is attached the importance of exploring and protecting our AHS.As a traditional agricultural system for 1300 years,the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces System（HHRTS） has many significant characteristics such as beautiful landscapes,distinctive rice varieties,ecologically clean agricultural production systems,systematic methods of managing water and soil and special ethnic culture.It was designated successively as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System（GIAHS） in 2010 and as a World Heritage（WH） in 2013.In this paper,taking HHRTS as an example,we analyzed the economic,ecological,aesthetic,cultural,and social values,as well as the research values,of the GIAHS.We conclude that the restrictions on increasing peasant earnings and improving their living standards are difficult with the low efficiency of traditional planting patterns and the single-industry structure of farming in rugged terrain.However,these restrictive factors are beneficial for developing some industries like green agriculture,organic agriculture or ecological food production because of the clean farmland environment.In the end,we propose the basic approaches to protect the Hani terraces agriculture system should include the local governments to encourage the development of ecotourism,organic agriculture and featuring agriculture by multi-mode economic compensation.It is very important for protecting terraces to coordinate benefits among corporations,governments and villagers by making reasonable policies of compensation.