Tradition culture promotes development of scenic area

In Miao’ertan Town, south of Longshan County, there is a picturesque Tujia village called Rebala Scenic Area, where Xiche River and Dianfang River converge into Laoche River. The “Y” shaped Tujia Liangting Bridge, crossing the Laoche River, connects the three villages of Rebala, Laoche, and Liangjiazhai along the three banks of the river.

The scenic area covers traditional villages such as Laoche Village, Liming Village, Liuhe Village, and Shubi Village. Due to the well-preserved traditional culture of the Tujia ethnic minority, it is known as the “natural museum of the original ecological culture of the Tujia ethnic minority”. In recent years, while developing rural tourism, the Rebala Scenic Area has also actively inherited and protected the intangible cultural heritage culture in the integrated development of cultural tourism, and attracted a large number of tourists to relax themselves, taste farmhouse meals, and experience rural folk customs. It has effectively connected cultural tourism integration and rural revitalization.

It has successively won more than ten national titles, including the “national ethnic minority characteristic village”, the “national famous characteristic tourism village”, and one of the “first batch of traditional villages in China”.

Revitalize resources

The 450 Tujia characteristic residential buildings represented by Chongtian Tower complement Tujia folk culture in the Rebala Scenic Area.

Xiang Fuxiao, Party secretary of Laoche Village, said that in order to protect the original styles of the village, villagers who renovate or build wooden houses will receive certain subsidies after passing the acceptance inspection, in a bid to avoid the damage of the traditional styles and architectural cultural and artistic atmosphere of the ancient village. On May 4 this year, the first Tourism Development Conference and the 8th Sheba Day of Longshan County opened in Rebala, when the hospitable Tujia people presented a rich and colorful Tujia cultural feast to tourists.

Intangible cultural heritage plays an important role in enriching tourism formats and the connotation of tourism culture.

The Rebala Scenic Area, as a “demonstration base for productive protection of national intangible cultural heritage”, has tapped intangible cultural heritage resources and implemented overall protection to endow rural areas with unique cultural charm by combining intangible cultural heritage, traditional village protection and natural landscapes.

According to statistics, in the first half of this year, the scenic area received 210,000 tourists, with a tourism revenue of 5.7 million yuan. Inherit intangible cultural heritage

Laoche Village is the birthplace of Tujia brocade, known as one of the “four famous brocades in China”. At the Tujia Brocade Skills Training Institute in Laoche Village, Liu Dai’e, 68 years old, is still busy weaving.

Since the age of 12, Liu Dai’e has been learning to weave Tujia brocade. Over the past 50 years, she has collected 220 traditional patterns.

She has won many honors such as a “Chinese arts and crafts master”, an “outstanding representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage protection”, a “national intangible cultural heritage master”, and a “national model individual for ethnic unity and progress”.

“Every year, many people come to learn about Tujia brocade culture, and some people even have started their own companies.” Liu Dai’e said that over the years, she has been promoting Tujia brocade to the world, attracting many young enthusiasts, including students and teachers from universities.

There is a 60-meter-long Tujia brocade work in the Xiangxi Museum, which marvels visitors. It is one of Liu Dai’e’s proudest works. As a tribute to the celebration of the anniversary day of the establishment of Xiangxi Prefecture, it took 8 months to complete, with a radial length of 60 meters and a latitudinal width of 160 centimeters. And it integrates 60 traditional Tujia brocade patterns and the iconic Longshan Tujia brocade patterns, which showcase the characteristics and charm of Tujia brocade, making it a highly representative work Tujia brocade.

Nowadays, Liu Dai’e still spares no effort in promoting Tujia brocade in the universities across the country, especially in the Wuling Mountainous area. At the same time, she is dedicated to developing new Tujia brocade products, so as to further inherit and develop Tujia brocade weaving skills.

Study tours have become increasingly popular, and the Rebala Scenic Area has also welcomed social practice and study tour groups. Primary and secondary school students step out of the classroom to experience profound historical and cultural heritage. Students from universities, vocational schools, and art training institutions draw ancient and beautiful paintings with brushes. The rise of study tours has effectively driven the development of catering and homestay industries in the scenic area. Many villagers have boosted income at their doorstep. “Last year, the scenic area received approximately 50,000 people, with a tourism income of about 1.2 million yuan,” said Hu Rong, head of the study tour department of the Rebala Scenic Area.

“We have integrated intangible cultural resources into the study practice, which allows students to experience the Tujia intangible cultural heritage passed down from generation to generation.” Huang Zhen, a staff member of the Rebala Scenic Area, said that in order to promote the inheritance and dissemination of Tujia intangible cultural heritage, the scenic area has invited representative inheritors of various levels of intangible cultural heritage to prepare lessons for different study tour groups, and provided them with art sketches courses, Tujia art exhibitions, traditional skill training, and other services.

In the future, the scenic area will also improve dormitories and related supporting facilities and enhance its comprehensive competitiveness in terms of education, practice, and cultural experience.