Regional Development and the Reinvention of Local Culture in China: The Case of Tunbao Heritage

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In many parts of the world, people have turned to their heritage as a centerpiece of economic development programs focusing on tourism. "Tunbao" refers to the culture of some 300,000 descendants of Ming Dynasty garrison settlers stationed on the empire's southwestern frontier during the 14th century. Having lived in relative isolation for some six centuries, these villagers are now regarded as "living fossils" of early Ming culture, an ambivalent label that villagers themselves have nevertheless appropriated and turned into a mark of cultural prestige. This research project will evaluate the development of Tunbao-based heritage tourism in southwest China's Guizhou province. The project will assess the relationship between cultural strategies of development and local reactions to and incorporations of such strategies in the local-scale pursuit of tourism development. This two-year collaborative ethnographic case study will bring together a multi-ethnic and interdisciplinary research team, and it will introduces innovative theories and methodologies in human geography to Chinese scholars and graduate students. The project specifically seeks to address three general questions: (1) How is local culture used as a resource in regional development strategies? (2) What is the relationship between cultural strategies of regional development and the reinvention of local culture? (3) What role do locals play in the reinvention of local culture and what meanings are associated with such reinvention? Research methods to me used include interviews with local and provincial government officials at units most directly responsible for formulating regional development strategies, external trade and financial ties, and cultural development and preservation; a comprehensive inventory of contemporary changes in tunbao cultural reinvention; village surveys; extended open-ended interviews; and participant-observation of village cultural landscapes, visual cultural practices, and performances.The project will contribute to broader theoretical work in the human geography of China. It will contribute a Chinese perspective toward western ideas and experiences of "place marketing" and cultural change as well as provide a model for sustainable heritage tourism development in rural China. The project will integrate research and education while seeking to benefit society at large. The project will help train four Chinese graduate students in innovative field methods and theoretical approaches to understanding cultural change and economic development. The project also seeks to provide a basis for a dialogue between Chinese scholars and local government officials and tourism industry personnel.