The impact of tourism on social and cultural changes in tourist reception areas

1. The positive impact of tourism on the traditional culture of the reception area

In recent years, tourism has promoted the economic and social development of Lijiang. With the pace of the times, the resounding name of Lijiang has become world-famous and has become one of the most worth-visiting tourist spots in the world. However, the impact of tourism on the traditional culture of the Naxi people in Lijiang is also multifaceted.

(1) Tourism promotes the revival of traditional culture

With the continuous influx of thousands of tourists, it has brought many changes, especially to the local ethnic traditions. The demand for culture has led to the revival of many traditional spiritual and material cultures that were on the verge of being lost under the influence of the tourism wave. They have been integrated into the tourism market and have been reconstructed and reborn. For example: many cultural landscapes have been restored; the protection of Dongba culture and Naxi ancient music has been raised to the level of legalization; Dongba papermaking technology has been restored; traditional handicrafts such as copper, silver and pottery making have been reborn; traditional folk food Jelly, sugar, cake, butter tea, etc. have become popular flavor foods among tourists. It is particularly worth mentioning that Dongba culture, as the core part of the traditional culture of the Naxi people in Lijiang, covers all aspects of the social life, customs and habits, moral concepts, culture and art of the Naxi people, and is known as the "encyclopedia of ancient Naxi society" . However, with the rapid changes in the social and political system, since the 1950s, Dongba culture has gradually fallen into a deep crisis of comprehensive decline and even death. Until the 1980s, with the improvement of the domestic situation, especially the development of local tourism, opportunities were brought to the restoration of Dongba culture. Originally limited to academic research and regarded as mysterious and profound, Dongba culture has rapidly entered the market, becoming one of the most beautiful cultural landscapes in the area, and developing into a major cultural factor driving the tourism boom in Lijiang.

(2) The tourism industry’s demand for traditional culture has enhanced people’s awareness of protecting traditional culture

Tourism has promoted the development of the local economy and improved people’s living conditions. While enjoying the huge benefits brought by tourism, local residents have gradually discovered the irreplaceability of their own traditional culture, thus eliminating the cultural inferiority complex they had in the past in the face of the so-called mainstream culture, and increasingly cherishing their own traditional culture. Sincerely, a sense of responsibility and mission for safeguarding traditional culture has arisen, and the consciousness of protecting traditional culture has been continuously enhanced. Traditional culture is being protected and passed on in various ways. For example, the local government, people, and enterprises in Lijiang have increased their income through tourism, and returned part of the tourism income to the restoration of the ancient city, cultural protection and rescue, and the organization of traditional culture, thereby promoting and promoting the protection and development of national culture. There are also schools established for the revitalization and inheritance of Dongba culture with the strong appeal and advocacy of the Naxi intellectual elite and the support of the local government. For example, Mr. Guo Dalie, a well-known Naxi scholar, founded the "Dongba Culture Institute" in Hongwen Village, Huangshan Town, the "Nakhi Culture Institute" organized by Mr. He Limin in Jinshan Township, the Dongba Culture Museum and the Dongba Culture School, etc. In 1999 and 2001, the 99 China Lijiang International Culture and Art Festival and the China Lijiang International Dongba Culture and Tourism Festival were successfully held, which made Dongba culture, an ancient cultural treasure, shine again.

2. The negative impact of tourism on traditional culture

Just like everything in the world, there are pros and cons. The development of tourism activities, while promoting the revival of traditional culture, has also brought a series of negative impacts to local traditional culture. The impact of tourism on traditional culture is more extensive and profound than its impact on the natural environment, and will further affect the sustainable development of local society, so it should receive more attention from us.

(1) The weakening and even assimilation of traditional national culture

“With the development of tourism, under the strong impact of heterogeneous culture, the original cultural features of the reception area have changed. Certain changes, from clothing, architecture and lifestyle to language and writing, are becoming increasingly similar to those of outsiders, and the local traditional culture is gradually diluted, assimilated and even distorted and deformed."

[1] Such as the national language as an important carrier of national culture. Due to the "cultural integration" process triggered or accelerated by tourism, its functions are constantly being weakened and gradually dying out. Compared with 10 years ago, there are fewer and fewer people speaking the national language in Lijiang City and Dam District. It has become a trend to teach children to speak Chinese from an early age. About 70% of local residents, especially young people, no longer speak Naxi. On the streets or on buses, you can everywhere hear the strange phenomenon of parents speaking Naxi to each other, while parents and their children speak Chinese. Nowadays, speaking Naxi is no longer an identifying sign of the "Naxi people", but has become an identifying sign of "rural people". Even among those young people who can speak Naxi, a large number of Naxi words are disappearing, so there is "The grandparents who were able to pass on traditional cultural knowledge and wisdom to their descendants with eloquent words in their mother tongue can now only stutter in conversations with their grandchildren who only speak Chinese."

[2] The development of tourism has resulted in a continuous influx of large numbers of tourists over a long period of time. Each tourist’s stay is not long, but for the Naxi people, the ethnic group at the tourist destination, every day Welcome visitors. Therefore, this kind of contact and impact is long-lasting.

“Generally speaking, tourists from culturally strong areas will have a demonstration effect on the residents of host areas who are in relatively weak culturally disadvantaged areas, and the ideas and culture they bring will become the first to be imitated by local residents (especially young people). objects. And to a certain extent, it has subtly changed their daily behaviors and values, from the initial blind imitation of dressing up and entertainment methods to the later deliberate pursuit of their original lifestyle. Becoming more and more bored, leading to complete abandonment."

[3] For example, the Mosuo people who have lived in Ninglang County, Yunnan Province are one of the ancient indigenous residents of the area. It has a rich national culture and its unique Mosuo cultural system dominates all aspects of social life. However, with the development of tourism, the ancient and peaceful Mosuo society has also been shaken, and the phenomenon of sinicization has gradually become serious. In order to cater to the preferences of tourists, they wear light and smart Han costumes and speak Mandarin. The simple and vigorous Mosuo folk songs and modern popular Han songs echo on Lugu Lake at the same time. The matrilineal marriage and family system has also been affected. People who work outside are willing to settle down, and Mosuo girls are willing to marry out of the village. There are many examples like this. In more and more tourist reception areas, the phenomenon of Sinicization in architecture, clothing, language, food, festivals and even customs and habits is becoming increasingly serious. "It makes people think of border villages as Hangzhou."

(2) Stageization and commercialization of traditional culture

In the tourism market, due to the one-sided pursuit of tourism benefits, regardless of the characteristics of local social and humanistic resources, the trend is completely towards tourism The operation of tourist tastes, packaging national culture in modern art forms, and artisticizing and commercializing its traditional stage are the main means of tourism development at present. Although it can effectively stimulate tourists and generate tourism consumption in a specific time and environment. But its fatal weakness is that the traditional national culture loses its original cultural connotation and becomes increasingly commercialized. Most tourists are not interested in the cultural value of a destination, but are driven by curiosity. For tourists, what is fresh, amazing, hard-won, and cannot be seen elsewhere is what they want. Whatever he approaches and whatever he buys, he chooses among them. "Everything in the reception area that can attract tourists is marked with a price and is for sale. Traditional culture simply serves the economy, but the true connotation is often artificially dismembered, castrated or even forged or Counterfeiting, the original cultural value has been completely replaced by commercial value, and so-called 'national costumes', 'national songs and dances', 'national etiquette', etc. have been tampered beyond recognition to cater to tourists. They were originally only available in certain The time, place and occasion, and various etiquettes and customs that can only be performed according to traditional content and methods. I am repeatedly invited to break the rules and appear on the stage frequently. Everything becomes so stylish, the atmosphere is warm and even the scene is spectacular, but from then on In essence, it has no special meaning or value. It is just a staged, stylized and commercial performance." For example, putting out river lanterns is a folk custom for the Naxi people to pay homage to the souls of the dead. Now it has been transformed into a game of making wishes and expressing good wishes, bringing wealth to the operators every day. On the surface, the traditional culture of the reception area still exists, at least in its external form, it has not changed much, but in fact its purpose of existence is fundamentally different from the past.

Take the revival of the Dongba culture, the most distinctive representative of the Naxi traditional culture, as an example. It is no longer and cannot be the restoration of the "authentic" Dongba culture. In the past, Dongba culture, with Dongba religion as an important carrier, was broad, profound, and all-encompassing, and was an indispensable and important part of the social life of the Naxi people. For thousands of years, it has built the spiritual world of the Naxi people with its strong vitality and lasting influence, and is the sacred soul of the Naxi people. The current revival of Dongba culture is no longer to meet the needs of the Naxi people's spiritual life. It is aimed at all kinds of domestic and foreign tourists. The tourists do not believe in Dongba religion, but just want to understand Dongba religion. Some even Tourists are just out of curiosity. As a result, the crucial emotional foundation on which religious belief rests is missing. Therefore, "the revival of Dongba culture is essentially the rise of a cultural industry." Dongba characters are known as "the only living hieroglyphs in the world" and are very decorative, so many people regard Dongba culture as a tool to make money. Farmers in the mountains cut down wood and make wooden trays, which are sold to craftsmen in the city. The craftsmen then wholesale the finished products to traders. The frog gods, eagle gods and Dongba characters carved or painted on the wooden plates are all regarded as sacred objects of faith in traditional society. Now they are hung in rows in various shops in the ancient city, waiting for tourists to buy them. . Due to the lack of an authoritative certification body for cultural products, the various Dongba cultural shirts, wall hangings and other accessories that are popular on the streets are full of errors, and even the shopkeepers are confused. This not only caused many tourists to be deceived, but also directly led to the superficiality and vulgarization of Dongba culture, thus laying a fatal hidden danger for the sustainable development of traditional culture.

(3) Changes in living environment and lifestyle (taking the ancient city of Lijiang as an example)

The world-famous ancient city carries the long history and culture of Lijiang and is a symbol of the wisdom of the Naxi people. However, under the impact of the tourism wave, ancient cities have to cater to the needs of tourists and become increasingly commercialized. Lijiang Old Town has more than 1,600 businesses in a small area of ??only 3.8 square kilometers.

There are many shops and noisy people, destroying the original tranquility and simplicity. Moreover, more than 70% of the shops or inns are leased and operated by foreign businessmen. Although the influx of foreigners has brought great vitality to the development of Lijiang society, it has also inevitably diluted the unique traditional cultural atmosphere of the ancient city. These foreign businessmen dressed in Naxi costumes shouted with various accents and competed to attract tourists. Foreign goods with no ethnic characteristics filled the streets and alleys of the ancient city. The peaceful and tranquil traditional lifestyle of the residents of the ancient city has also been severely impacted. As a result, the original residents are unwilling to live in the ancient city and have moved out of the old houses where their ancestors have lived for generations with nostalgia and helplessness.

With the conflict of interests, the space for life and needs being plundered, the homes where the Naxi people live are quietly being replaced. The traditional culture that has been passed down for thousands of years will no longer exist. With the transfer and loss of cultural subjects, the ancient city of Lijiang will completely lose its cultural advantage when applying for heritage. The ancient city of Lijiang can be copied and built in its original form on a new site, but without the Naxi people's scenery, the invisible traditional culture will slowly disappear over time and will not be renewable. When tourists who have returned from their hometown for several years marvel at the prosperity of the ancient city, they also feel that something is missing. The same colorful stone alleys, the same small bridges and flowing water, but it is difficult to find the ancient city in their childhood memories. A place that is not a tourist area but a home. We can imagine people walking on the streets of a replica of the ancient city, wearing Naxi costumes and speaking with accents from various places. What we see will be a bizarre social and cultural phenomenon that has been packaged and processed and has nothing to do with real Naxi life. "Therefore, Yang Fuquan, vice president of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences and a famous Naxi scholar, pointed out: 'The soul of the ancient city is not in the bridges or the flowing water, but in the people's homes and the culture of this nation.'"

(4) Degradation or even loss of traditional cultural values ??

Values ??are the core of national culture. Although the cultural values ??of various ethnic minorities are very different, all ethnic groups still have the same values. Such as hospitality, simplicity and kindness, valuing justice over profit, etc. However, with the development of tourism activities, the large influx of tourists has brought different values ????intentionally or unintentionally, causing drastic changes in the values ????of the residents of the previously relatively closed reception areas. There are also positive factors for progress, but it has also caused the degradation or even loss of local residents' traditional cultural values, leading to phenomena such as the loss of tradition and moral aberration. It has greatly damaged the originally good and standardized tourism atmosphere of the reception area and directly affected the sustainable development of society. For example, Lijiang people regard water as life, love water, cherish water, protect water, and use water rationally. It is an unwritten rule that the water in the upper reaches is used for cooking tea and cooking, the water in the middle reaches is used to wash rice and vegetables, and the water in the lower reaches is used to wash clothes and feet. It is an established custom not to throw debris into the river, pour dirty water, and not to wash clothes upstream. These conventions of loving rivers and protecting water have been followed for countless years. However, as Lijiang became famous, a large number of people came in, which also brought bad habits. Throwing garbage into the river, pouring dirty water, spitting and other phenomena can be seen everywhere. Elderly residents of Lijiang said sadly, "In the past, we could drink water from the river, but now we can't. What about tomorrow? I can't even imagine it."

In terms of commodity transactions, the Naxi people have always paid attention to honesty. There is no deception and the ethics of fair trade, but under the stimulation of tourists flocking in to buy tourism products and the business methods of foreign businessmen, some Naxi residents began to deviate from the ethics of their own nation and sell fake and inferior handicrafts to tourists at high prices to make huge profits. There have even been incidents of deception, abduction, forced buying and selling. This not only damages the interests of tourists, but also damages the reputation of the local area and causes a very bad social impact. For example, some out-of-town merchants produce inferior Lijiang cakes, which makes tourists think that Lijiang cakes are only of this quality, seriously affecting the reputation of the Naxi people and the image of the ancient city. At the same time, there have also been some illegal solicitation activities such as gambling and pornography that violate traditional cultural concepts and are not tolerated by social ethics, which have greatly worsened the local social atmosphere and increased various crime rates, thus seriously affecting the social order of the reception area. of stability.

The Naxi are a warm and hospitable nation. However, with the development of tourism, the large influx of tourists has hindered and interfered with the normal life of local residents, causing them to develop xenophobic sentiments. The residents' attitude towards tourists has changed from the initial friendly enthusiasm to dissatisfaction and even resentment. They have erected a wall in their hearts to separate themselves from tourists. Three years ago, tourists could walk into any small yard in the ancient city, admire the owner's gardening, and chat with the owner. But now residents are no longer interested in such interactions. Many families have changed their long-term arrangements for safety and the need not to be disturbed. I have formed the habit of not closing the door during the day and using closed doors to separate myself from the outside world.

(5) The emphasis on education is relatively low

The Naxi people have a tradition of respecting teachers and valuing education. According to the 1990 census data of Yunnan Province, 27.41% of the Naxi people are illiterate or semi-illiterate. , 32.7% lower than the Han nationality. The Naxi are one of the five ethnic groups whose number of people per 10,000 people with a junior high school education or above is higher than that of the Han. However, with the development of tourism in recent years, the improvement of economic level is not directly proportional to the progress of education. The reality is that the Naxi people's emphasis on education has been relatively reduced, which is reflected in the serious dropout situation of middle and high school students.

Different from those who dropped out of school due to low income, inability to afford education or insufficient family labor force in previous years, one of the main reasons is the increase in employment opportunities in the process of urbanization. Because the service jobs created by the tourism economy do not require high educational levels, it is easy to find part-time job opportunities without higher education. As a result, parents’ emphasis on and support for education is weakened, and students abandon school when they are tired of studying. , or after completing one stage of schooling, they will no longer continue their education, or they will simply give up school and work. According to what the author learned in Baisha Township, Lijiang, in recent years, the number of people taking the exam again after failing to enter primary school, junior high school, and high school for the first time has been greatly reduced, and most of them are directly employed. Judging from the positions, they are concentrated in dance teams in tourist attractions, waiters in restaurants and hotels, etc., among which women account for the majority. The relatively lower emphasis on education will be detrimental to improving national quality and the sustainable development of national culture.

3. Countermeasures and thoughts on protecting traditional culture

Traditional culture is the catalyst for promoting the development of Lijiang tourism, and the humanistic spirit of the Naxi people is the highlight that attracts global attention. Lijiang has preserved a complete and rich national culture, which is a world-class cultural wealth of mankind. Cultural resources are Lijiang's greatest advantage, and Lijiang's greatest advantage is its cultural advantage. If this is lost, Lijiang tourism will lose its due value, and the world cultural heritage will not be worthy of its name. Therefore, it is imperative to protect the traditional national culture.

(1) Strengthen the education of traditional national culture and enhance the awareness of self-protection of the Naxi people

There are many ways to protect traditional culture, but strengthening the education of traditional national culture and enhancing the awareness of the Naxi people Awareness of self-protection is particularly important. In today's integrated world, while enjoying modern civilization, the Naxi people must also consider how to integrate tradition with modernity and how to protect, develop and inherit their excellent traditional culture. But the efforts of the government and relevant departments are far from enough. The most important thing is to awaken the Naxi people’s awareness of protection. First of all, strengthen traditional ethnic education in various government agencies, rural areas and schools to cultivate the national self-esteem and pride of the Naxi people. The second is to strengthen bilingual teaching in rural schools so that students can enrich their native vocabulary and love their nation more while learning Chinese. The third is to encourage parents to take the initiative to take the responsibility of passing on culture to their children through community education, encourage people to be proud of speaking Naxi dialect, and to take the maintenance of traditional culture as their own responsibility. Fourth, through relevant departments to develop and standardize traditional ethnic festivals and costumes, songs, dances, food, etc., the splendid traditional ethnic culture of the Naxi people can be further carried forward.

(2) Further standardize the tourism market and strictly control excessive cultural development.

In areas affected by tourism, local culture as a tourism resource will inevitably be commercialized. Although Lijiang has created a brand based on culture, gained huge profits, and promoted economic development, it has also attracted more foreign developers to pursue cultural ideas, which has intensified the trend of commercialization of local culture, and culture has also It was heavily altered and changed beyond recognition. As Naxi people, we should be soberly aware that developers organize, process, and package national culture with superior cultural habits, making the stage of traditional national culture artistic, commercial, and even vulgar. This is actually a predatory development of national culture and has become a fake national culture, thereby destroying the trajectory of national culture and being extremely detrimental to the sustainable development of tourism in ethnic areas. Therefore, cultural development must be strictly controlled, and relevant departments should do the following: First, regulate the tourism market and resolutely put an end to so-called "cultural" development that is short-term. Second, we must provide correct guidance so that local people can actively participate in tourism and consciously serve as envoys to safeguard traditions. The third is to continue to give full play to the role of ethnic research experts and scholars and provide advice and suggestions for the government to further regulate the cultural market.

(3) Protect the ancient city and protect the cultural landscape of the ancient city

The Old City of Lijiang is the traditional settlement of the Naxi people and the most important and representative carrier of the traditional culture of the Naxi people. For hundreds of years, the Naxi people have lived here from generation to generation, enjoying a peaceful and peaceful life. This "living" historical and cultural city was created by the residents who have called the ancient city their home for generations. Their daily production and life constitute a unique "living" ancient city culture. Therefore, the most important thing to protect the culture of the ancient city is to retain the local indigenous residents. A series of measures and methods adopted by the previous government are relatively effective, but this work must focus on the following aspects: First, community participation must be mobilized, and community residents should be included in tourism planning as the main body of tourism development. Tourism development and other aspects related to tourism Develop the decision-making and execution system for major matters. Incorporate the environmental, social and cultural background of the community into tourism development planning, coordinate the overall goals and priorities of tourism development with those of local residents, and correctly guide local residents to consciously maintain their interests while relying on tourism. Traditional customs and living habits, and actively participate in maintaining tradition. Second, we must pay attention to the living conditions of the residents of the ancient city and effectively solve their practical difficulties. If we turn a blind eye to the demands and difficulties of the residents of the ancient city, most residents will be unable to benefit from the various benefits brought by the tourism economy. Instead, they will have to endure the negative impacts caused by tourism and bear the various costs of tourism development. (Including environmental, social costs, etc.). When this kind of contradiction accumulates to a certain extent, resistance, negativity and hostility will inevitably arise.

Therefore, this requires us to fully consider the wishes, requirements, attitudes, opinions and rights of local residents, proceed from their vital interests, and respect local ideologies, traditional culture and folk customs. By using local knowledge, absorbing local practices, and integrating local cultural values ??and traditions with folk tourism development, the launched tourism activities can win the recognition and support of local residents. Continuously solicit and adopt the opinions and suggestions of the local community to further improve and improve it. So that residents can reflect the superiority of living in the ancient city from tourism income and become the masters of tourism development instead of bystanders or victims. Third, we must continuously improve residents' cultural quality and commodity economy awareness, and gradually enhance their ability to adapt to the market and protect their own culture.

(4) Carry forward the national spirit and strengthen traditional national moral education

Due to the influence of foreign culture, the Naxi traditional moral and ethical system has been strongly impacted, resulting in the loss of some traditional morals such as The phenomenon of out-of-order order has given people a negative impression that people's hearts are not ancient and the world is declining. It has greatly damaged Lijiang's originally good and standardized tourism atmosphere and directly affected the sustainable development of society. Therefore, we should vigorously carry forward the national spirit to restore the traditional morality of the Naxi people, so that the fine traditions of the Naxi people can continue to be passed on and developed. When small and weak ethnic groups are faced with the entry of powerful mainstream culture and are in confusion, it is even more important to promote the national spirit and strengthen the traditional ethnic moral education. We should keep pace with the times, combine the construction of socialist spiritual civilization with traditional virtue education, and establish the image of the Naxi people with good morals. The development of modern material civilization has brought huge survival crises to human beings. It has also worsened the relationships between people, leading to crises of faith, morals, emotions, and family crises. Naxi society is a society that values ??emotional life. The elderly are loved. Family and friendship are the basic means to maintain the existence and development of society. The warmth it creates envelopes every member of society, allowing them to find happiness in life. Human relations and family affection are the spiritual pillars of human existence. The call for love between people should be the eternal spiritual wealth of mankind. However, Naxi culture happens to have a people-oriented spiritual quality, which is an important compensation for modern civilization. Therefore, carrying forward the national spirit is not a way back, but an inevitable requirement and choice of historical development, which will be beneficial to the sustainable development of Lijiang's tourism industry.

(5) Pay attention to education and continuously improve the overall quality of the Naxi people

Education is the hope of a nation and the basis for sustainable social and economic development. Since ancient times, the Naxi people have had a fine tradition of respecting teachers and valuing education. The outstanding figures of the past dynasties and the "rainy weather" memorial archway have left us not to eat the food of our ancestors and go back, but a kind of warning and encouragement. Amid the praise of the so-called advanced and civilized Naxi people, we should pay more attention to rural education and pay attention to the dropout phenomenon in various middle schools. The first is to carry out further education to encourage students to love their hometown, love their nation, and establish lofty ideals and aspirations. The second is to continuously improve the service level of the tourism industry, improve the standards and requirements of employment, and gradually increase people's understanding of long-term investment in education and real economic benefits.