Sustainable Rural Development Based on Cultural Heritage: Fid-Bau Portal

Sustainable Rural Development Based on Cultural Heritage

Feiner, Jacques P. / Mi, Shiwen / Schmid, Willy A.

In China today, 70% of the population still live in rural and mountainous areas where poverty and economic underdevelopment are widespread. Shaxi Valley, which is located at the foothills of the Himalaya in Yunnan province and remains one of the last strongholds of the Bai minority, is not only an example of an economically impoverished area in Central China but boasts the historic market square of Shaxi, which was selected on the list of the 100 most endangered World Heritage Sites by the World Monument Fonds (WMF) in 2001. The Shaxi Rehabilitation and Development Project focuses on the sustainable development of a rural commune by generating a framework for ecological, economic, and social issues which balance development and conservation in the long run. Tourism will not be the sole vehicle for the viability of the Shaxi Valley communities but only one of four tiers—alongside a well-maintained structural environment, improved infrastructure, and economic diversification. The comprehensive regional planning includes a zoning and transportation plan, a plan for sustainable basic infrastructure, a tourism development plan, a protection and development plan for historic sites, and an investment plan.