Study on Ethnical Bamboo Culture Ecotourism in Yunnan Province

As a specific region most abundant in bamboo species and their natural forests in the world, China's Yunnan Province harbors over 250 bamboo species belonging to 28 genera in its 331 000 hm² of bamboo forests, thus forming a unique macro-background of its ecotourist landscape resources. Not only is it acknowledged as one of the original places and modern distribution centers of bamboo by scientists, but it is a region with diverse ethnical and bamboo cultures nurtured out of the peculiar ethnical customs and wide bamboo utilization of its 26 nationalities. Based on the analyses of the ornamental bamboo and its value in landscape resources, 5 aesthetic characteristics are microscopically and morphologically approached as a material base of the formation of bamboo culture. By reexamining the macro-background of the specific natural and humanity landscape, 4 categories are described as fundamental macro-landscape resources of Yunnan's bamboo culture ecotourism. After researching the ethnical ecological ethics and cultural symbolism, 3 typical ethnical traditions are summarized as traditional ecological awareness, and 3 cultural features of bamboo are revealed as essence of ethnical bamboo culture preserved in Yunnan. Borrowing some theories from the new economic development, innovation and successful ecotourist management experience at home and abroad with wide academic vision, the authors have synthetically studied the substantial, conceptual and symbolic landscapes in a broad field involving bamboo science, ethnology, ecology, ecoeconomics and tourist management. A preliminary theory of ethnical bamboo culture is thus constructed, and its peculiarities are briefly discussed while the correlation between ethnical bamboo culture and the natural resources, other cultures as well as ecotourist development are systematically analyzed to lay a solid theoretical foundation and reliable scientific basis for ecoeconomy-oriented forestry, cultural economics and ecotourist practice. Accordingly, 3 primary strategies and certain related principles are suggested for the sustainable development of ecotourism in Yunnan via effective protection and rational exploitation of abundant natural landscape resources and colorful humanity landscape resources including ethnical bamboo culture.