Cultural tourism effort in Dongtou bears fruit

On a recent spring day, villagers dressed in traditional attire of the She ethnic group, danced briskly in a square surrounded by sprawling fields of blooming rapeseed flowers in Dongtou township of Huichang county in Ganzhou city, Jiangxi province.

Two performers created rhythmic patterns by tapping bamboo poles on the ground, as others tried to jump, hop or step between the poles, attempting to avoid stepping on them, while leaping and bouncing in time with the music.

This created a joyous atmosphere, drawing tourists who couldn't resist joining in on the fun and participating in the dance.

Apart from the bamboo dancing, local villagers also showcased the traditional She ethnic group folk art of baizilong (arranging dragons into word patterns), which involves a group of performers who manipulate a long dragon puppet to form various Chinese characters that represent good luck and fortune.

Those activities were part of the sixth folk culture and tourism festival of Huichang county, an event aimed at promoting traditional cultures and local tourism.

During the four-day event, performances of folk arts, a wide array of local delicacies, and exhibitions showcasing traditional handicrafts like bamboo weaving, paper-cutting, and rattan weaving were presented at various scenic spots throughout the county, providing tourists with an enjoyable experience exploring the area's unique heritage.

One of these scenic spots was Dongtou township, inhabited by members of the She ethnic group and situated around 48 kilometers from the downtown area of Huichang.

The township has been leveraging the vibrant She culture as an attraction in recent years.

Yuan Ling was among the tourists who joined the bamboo dancing. In 2003, she volunteered as an English teacher at a school in Dongtou for over a year. She was attracted to come back upon hearing about the program of festive celebrations recently held in the township. "The place used to be remote, backward and dilapidated, but now, it has been transformed," she says.

In addition to the township's natural beauty, including the jaggedly beautiful mountains, towering cliffs, waterfalls, bamboo groves and terraced fields, the neatly paved roads, wooden boardwalks, vintage water wheels, and uniquely designed bridges, as well as the uniformly arranged food stalls, demonstrate the town's remarkable progress in developing its tourism infrastructure.

Adding to the lure are over 5,000 square meters of ancient residential buildings, some of which have been transformed into exhibition halls that showcase the rich history, culture and traditions of the She ethnic group.

After taking a look around the township, another change that impressed her was the ubiquity of She ethnic cultural elements.

"When I lived in the township before, I was curious about the She culture, but I only saw older people wearing She-style headwear. Generally, they didn't pay much attention to showcasing their traditional culture in daily life," she recalls.

The transformation can be credited to the township's efforts to vitalize the local rural area by utilizing cultural heritage as a tourist attraction.

In November, the town was designated as a signature tourist destination by the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association.

Next, the town aims to achieve coordinated development and mutual flow of visitors with other scenic spots in the county, such as Hanxianyan, by integrating their respective operations, says Liu Xiufeng, Party secretary of Dongtou township.

Local people have been actively participating in the township's tourism development by organizing study tours centered on ethnic cultures, running She-style homestays, serving local delicacies, performing folk arts and selling handicraft items, according to Liu.

Lan Tianxiang is a pioneer of tourism entrepreneurship in the township. He manages a fruit-picking garden spanning 13.33 hectares and a 0.25-hectare homestay.

The garden boasts a variety of fruits such as waxberries, mulberries, peaches, plums, pears, oranges and grapefruits, each with its own distinct harvest season. That means the fruits can be harvested throughout the year, ensuring that the garden remains a popular destination for tourists, whatever the month.

The man started running the homestay in 2016.

"I designed and decorated it on my own, choosing an antique aesthetic," he says, adding that the furniture is crafted from unusual and distinctive pieces of wood that he discovered on the nearby mountains.

He has been going through a very busy phase since December.

The occupancy rate of the homestay averages around 60 percent. And during the Spring Festival holidays it reached 100 percent. In January, the homestay's turnover exceeded 700,000 yuan ($101,646), he says.

Dongtou township received more than 86,000 tourists during this Spring Festival holiday.

"I'm proud to see how my hometown has transformed through the process of rural vitalization, and how the awareness of my fellow villagers in protecting and showcasing our cultural treasures has been raised over the years," he says.

Both of his sons have learned how to perform the art of baizilong at the local middle school. He hopes that such folk arts of the She people will continue to be passed down the generations.