Nowadays, eco-tourism has become a hot spot in the world tourism industry, and a tourism fashion. Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, as a protected area of natural landscape, biodiversity and history and culture with vertical spectrum of bioclimate, has rich and unique eco-tourism resources such as geology, climate, biology, history and nationality. In order to give full play to the advantages of resources, develop the tourism resources of the reserve, develop the community economy, and achieve "promoting development through tourism and promoting protection through development", Baoshan Administration of the reserve has carried out beneficial exploration and practice in developing eco-tourism since 1994.
1. Rich and unique eco-tourism resources
Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve is located in the border area between China and Myanmar in the west of Yunnan Province, which administratively crosses five counties (cities) of Tengchong, Baoshan, Hushui, Fugong and Gongshan in Baoshan and Nujiang States, bordering Myanmar in the northwest, with the famous Nujiang Grand Canyon in the east and Tengchong Volcano and Rehai National Scenic Area in the southwest. The nature reserve was founded in 1983, and in 1992, it was listed as an A-level nature reserve with international significance by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). In April, 2111, with the approval of the State Council, the Nujiang Provincial Nature Reserve at the northern end of the reserve was upgraded and brought into the management of Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve. The combined nature reserve has a total area of 415,549 hectares, making it the largest national nature reserve in Yunnan Province. In October 2111, it was approved by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve.
The huge Gaoligong Mountain starts from the Tibetan Plateau in the north and reaches the territory of Myanmar in the Indo-China Peninsula in the south. It is more than 611 kilometers long and spans five latitudes. The mountain trend is north-south, with the main peak at an altitude of 5,128 meters and the lowest elevation of 523 meters, with a relative height difference of 4,615 meters, forming a three-dimensional climate of "one mountain divided into four seasons and ten miles with different days" and a unique landscape of vertical distribution of natural vegetation. Due to its special geographical location and climatic characteristics, Gaoligong Mountain has become a natural channel for the gathering of plants and animals in the north and south and a transitional link between the east and the west. During the third and fourth glacial periods, it was little affected by the cold climate and used to be a refuge for animals and plants. Animals and plants in the hot, warm and cold zones in the space close at hand gather in one mountain, and the biological resources are extremely rich. According to the preliminary investigation, there are 4,313 species of higher plants and 1,425 species of various animals in the nature reserve, including 61 species of key protected wild plants in China and Yunnan Province, such as Rhododendron grandiflora, Taiwania flousiana, Magnolia grandiflora, Taxus yunnanensis and Shuiqingshu, more than 611 species of ornamental flowers and 1,177 species of medicinal plants. There are 82 kinds of wildlife under special state protection, such as Indo-Chinese tiger, antelope, leopard, clouded leopard, white-browed gibbon, langur, white-tailed pheasant, golden eagle and green peacock, with more than 411 species of birds and 117 species of mammals. It is one of the regions with the richest biodiversity in China and is known as "green treasure house and animal paradise".
Gaoligong Mountain is the watershed of Nujiang River and Irrawaddy River. There are more than 81 rivers flowing into these two rivers respectively in the nature reserve. Due to the large drop (often more than 2,111 meters), these rivers form many beautiful waterfalls and overlapping waters. The organic combination of mountains and water makes Gaoligong Mountain have charming natural scenery, and together with the scattered alpine hot springs in the area, it constitutes the unique natural landscape of Gaoligong Mountain.
At the same time, the history and culture of Gaoligong Mountain are rich and varied. In recent years, many Neolithic cultural relics have been found on both sides of Gaoligong Mountain. Archaeology proves that there were densely populated primitive people living here 4,111 years ago, and the ancient city with unique relics and the well-preserved Southern Silk Road (Shushendu Road) further illustrate the glory of ancient civilization here. In addition, Gaoligong Mountain is also the ancient battlefield and the main anti-Japanese battlefield in western Yunnan. There are various ancient and modern war relics such as beacon towers, battle pits and bunkers in the area. Today, there are still more than ten ethnic groups living around the nature reserve, such as Han, Dai, Yi, Bai, De 'ang and Ang. Their different customs and religious beliefs have strong regional characteristics. Therefore, Gaoligong Mountain is also known as the "Mountain of Culture".
The unique natural landscape, rich biodiversity, rich historical culture and various ethnic customs around Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve have created unique conditions for its eco-tourism.
2. Eco-tourism is on the rise
At the end of the 21th century, with the development of the world economy, the living environment of human beings has gradually deteriorated, and ecological problems such as deforestation, grassland destruction, soil erosion and desertification have become more and more prominent. Human beings are facing the crisis of living environment, and a green wave of protecting their living environment has emerged around the world. Tourists are eager to have a green tourism environment. Driven by the tide of green consumption around the world, eco-tourism has emerged as a "green tourism" that "returns to nature".
in 1983, the term "ecotourism" was first put forward by Bellows Lascurain, a Mexican expert and special consultant of IUCN. At that time, the definition of eco-tourism was: "Eco-tourism, as a special form of conventional tourism, allows tourists to enjoy and visit the ancient and modern cultural heritage while staying in a relatively primitive and primitive natural area, and enjoy the charming scenery and wild animals and plants". Later, with the development of ecotourism, many tourism organizations and departments abused the concept of ecotourism, and almost any kind of tourism activities related to natural resources were labeled as ecotourism. In order to redefine the core of eco-tourism to the track of nature protection and benefiting local people, in 1993, The Ecotourism Society defined eco-tourism as "a tourism activity with dual responsibilities of protecting natural resources and environment and safeguarding local people's lives".
Eco-tourism is different from traditional mass tourism, which emphasizes the protection of tourist objects and the participation of community people. Tourists are in the dual roles of appreciator and protector in tourism activities. Compared with traditional mass tourism, eco-tourism has the following obvious characteristics:
(1) eco-tourism is a kind of tourism activity carried out on the basis of protection, and a large part of its tourism income should be used to protect natural resources.
(2) Eco-tourism is a kind of sustainable tourism, and its sustainability in ecology, society and economy must be considered when designing eco-tourism activities.
(3) Tourism activities should include biodiversity and environmental education for local communities and tourists.
(4) encourage local communities to participate in tourism activities and share the benefits brought by tourism.
as eco-tourism is a kind of sustainable tourism, which fully considers the ecological, social and economic benefits, it has been paid great attention to by tourism organizations all over the world once it was put forward, and it has developed very rapidly, becoming the main development mode of the world tourism industry today. According to statistics from the Canadian Biological Bureau, the output value of global ecotourism in 1991 was $211 billion. According to the estimation of the World Tourism Organization, at present, the income of ecotourism has accounted for 15-21% of the total world tourism income. Comparatively speaking, China's ecotourism started late, but its resources are rich and unique, and its development potential is huge. At present, there are 932 nature reserves in China (excluding the statistics of Hongkong and Taiwan Province at the end of 1997) and more than 811 forest parks. According to incomplete statistics, the number of forest tourists in China has reached more than 75 million, and the forest tourism income is more than 3 billion RMB, accounting for 1% of the domestic tourism income, which is far from the developed countries in Europe and America. For example, there are more than 61 national parks and numerous nature reserves in Germany, accounting for 1.3% of the national land.
Yunnan is the province with the richest biodiversity in China, enjoying the reputation of "plant kingdom" and "animal kingdom". There are 118 nature reserves in the province, ranking first in the country, and the development of ecotourism has great potential. As early as 1996, the Yunnan provincial government put forward that tourism should be listed as an important pillar industry. Through the successful holding of the' 99 China Kunming World Horticultural Exposition and the 2111 International Tourism Festival, Yunnan's international reputation has been greatly improved, and Yunnan has established a green and dense forest image in China and the world. Tourism in Yunnan, especially ecotourism, will face new historical development opportunities. As the ecological environment protection and key wildlife species protection in the upper reaches of two international rivers, salween and Irrawaddy River, Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve's eco-tourism resources development and ecological environment protection are of great international significance. The construction and development of eco-tourism in nature reserves catch up with the golden opportunity. At present, the reserve has successfully opened up eco-tourism routes, completed the development of Baihualing Zaotanghe hot spring and waterfall eco-tourism community, built Baihualing scientific research tourism reception center, trained tour guides and established Gaoligongshan Forest Travel Agency. In recent years, groups from the United States, Britain, France, Japan, the Netherlands, Thailand, Australia, Hongkong, Taiwan Province and other countries and regions have visited Gaoligong Mountain for bird watching, scientific research, exploration and other eco-tourism activities. Domestic tourists are also coming. Especially on holidays, the eco-tourism fever in Gaoligong Mountain has formed, and eco-tourism in protected areas is gradually emerging.
3. Several principles of ecotourism development
According to the characteristics of ecotourism and the reality of Gaoligong Mountain, we have followed the following principles in ecotourism development.
3.1 protection principle
Eco-tourism is a kind of tourism activity based on the protection of resources and environment, and its premise is protection. As a nature reserve, the protection of biological species and natural and human landscapes is the most important. What needs to be understood here is that the development of tourism in protected areas is not an end, but a means to increase the income of protected areas and promote the development of local communities. We can't develop tourism for the sake of tourism, and the purpose of developing tourism is ultimately to better protect nature. Therefore, the relationship between protection and development must be properly handled when developing ecotourism in nature reserves. First, it is necessary to plan scientifically. According to the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Nature Reserves, tourism activities in nature reserves can only be carried out in the experimental area, not in the core area. The projects designed in the tourism planning of protected areas should be conducive to the realization of protection objectives and functions, and the design of tourist routes, activity intensity and number of tourists should be within the scope permitted by the ecological environment. Second, it should be implemented step by step according to the plan. The development of protected areas should adhere to the conditions of maturity and development. If they are not mature, they should be protected first, and they should not be launched blindly, resulting in waste of manpower, material resources and financial resources and destruction of resources and environment. Third, it is necessary to organize tourism activities reasonably, and avoid tourism overload and environmental pollution by controlling the number of tourists and arranging tourists to enter the scenic spot in batches.
3.2 principle of harmony
Eco-tourism emphasizes the harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and requires the coordinated development of tourism and environment, and the matching of scenic spot construction and protected areas. In the development of scenic spots, we should try our best to maintain the originality and authenticity of resources, and the selection of projects should conform to local natural and cultural characteristics, so as to avoid relocating modern urban buildings to tourist areas. In the planning of Baihualing eco-tourism scenic spot in Gaoligong Mountain, tourism service facilities (accommodation, catering, shops, etc.) are arranged in Baihualing administrative village, Mangkuan Township, Baoshan City, outside the protected area, and other facilities are not placed in the scenic area except the necessary facilities such as swimming lanes, viewing pavilions, rest pavilions, ecological toilets and wildlife observation posts. Moreover, the architectural design is in harmony with the local environment. For example, Baihualing Scientific Research Tourism Reception Center is located near the local Hanlongzhai, and the Bai residential buildings are in harmony with the local environment and become an organic part of the village. In the development of Zaotanghe Hot Springs and Waterfalls Eco-tourism Community, a 3.5-kilometer circular tour road was mainly built, and the road construction did not destroy the natural environment and cut down trees as much as possible, and the road surface was paved with stones, which was in harmony with the environment.
3.3 The principle of building with the community
A very important factor in eco-tourism activities is the close participation of local communities. The development of eco-tourism in protected areas should be combined with the development of local communities and adhere to the principle of building with communities. If we leave the local community to develop eco-tourism in isolation, the support needed for its sustainable development is very limited. If eco-tourism is to develop continuously, its projects must be linked with the interests and needs of village communities. On the one hand, the community is attracted to participate in tourism planning and scenic spot development and construction, and the tourism planning should include community tourism (farmhouse accommodation, national culture, rural customs, etc.), and the scenic spot construction allows the community people to pay for their labor. For example, in 1997, the people of Hanlong Society in Baihualing Village participated in the development of Zaotanghe eco-tourism community, and they were paid 41,551 yuan, with an increase of 217.75 yuan per capita; On the other hand, the community people directly participate in tourism activities, such as providing guides, accommodation, selling agricultural and sideline products, tourist souvenirs and other service activities, and engaging in ethnic song and dance performances and other tourism activities. Baihualing Village in Baoshan City has benefited from the implementation of tourism development and other projects. On February 8, 1995, the villagers consciously established the first farmers' biodiversity protection association in China-Gaoligongshan Farmers' Biodiversity Protection Association, and now it has more than 111 members. In addition to spontaneous conservation activities, the association set up a performing team of the Yi people in January 1997 to perform various national dances and carry out nature conservation publicity activities on each festival. Nowadays, the national performance has become a tourism activity with special significance in Baihualing Scenic Area.
3.4 The principle of diversity of activity types
Eco-tourism is rich in content and flexible in activity types, which can be both a single professional tourism and a comprehensive tourism activity. According to the characteristics of Gaoligong Mountain, its development focuses on the following five projects:
Wild animal and plant viewing Gaoligong Mountain is one of the key areas of biodiversity in the world, and wild animal and plant viewing is one of the most distinctive tourism projects in the nature reserve, which can carry out eco-tourism activities such as bird watching, mammal watching, butterfly watching and flower watching.
Natural scenery tourism The magnificent mountain and canyon landform, unique three-dimensional climate, the wonders of the vertical distribution of virgin forests and the charming hot springs, waterfalls and other landscapes of Gaoligong Mountain make the nature reserve an ideal natural scenery tourism holy place.
Science and education tourism Gaoligong Mountain has always been a yearning place for Chinese and foreign zoologists and botanists. Due to the steep mountain and complex terrain, many places are inaccessible so far, and the resources and background of the reserve are unclear, which is a mysterious maze. There is great potential for scientific research tourism. At the same time, the nature reserve was listed as a popular science education base in Yunnan Province in 1999, which is an ideal popular science and patriotism education base.
Historical and Cultural Tourism Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve is rich in historical and cultural accumulation. Carrying out cultural tourism can enable tourists to experience the life of ancient humans and imagine the peak of ancient wars and the glory of the ancient Silk Road while strolling through famous mountains and rivers.
ethnic customs tourism Gaoligong Mountain is a corridor for ethnic border migration and integration. There are more than 11 ethnic minorities living around the reserve, such as Yi, Dai, De 'ang, Bai and Miao. These ethnic groups have different customs and traditional cultures, and their ethnic customs, religions, activities, songs and dances, marriage and festivals are valuable cultural heritage.
In addition to the above tourism projects, Gaoligong Mountain can also carry out eco-tourism activities such as mountaineering, exploration, landscape photography and rafting.
3.5 attraction