On December 17, the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development announced four measures to strengthen the construction of ecological carrying capacity in scenic spots.

The first is to guide districts and counties in Chongqing to build A-level scenic spots through improving the ecological environment. Concretely speaking, Chongqing will be home to scores of 4A-rated ecological conservation scenic spots, such as Laoying Mountain in Qijiang District, Baili Bamboo Sea Scenic Area in Liangping District, Longqiao River in Fengjie and Yanglu Mountain in Ba’nan District. It is also necessary to support the highly poverty-stricken Hongchiba Town, Wuxi County, to build Hongchi Yunxiang Resort into a 3A-rated scenic area. Targeted at the construction of scenic spots’ ecological carrying capacity, Chongqing will further enhance the popularity, reputation, and market radiation of its eco-tourism.

Baili bamboo forest

The second is to underline the construction of scenic spots’ ecological carrying capacity in all areas by drawing upon the experience gained on points. Through leading and furthering the insuring of the Goddess Peak of Three Gorges for RMB 100 million, the city will explore new ways to build the ecological carrying capacity in scenic spots. In this way, Chongqing can further grab global media’s attention to the development of its eco-tourism by completing the first national (global) case of (terrestrial) tourism resource insurance.

Wulong Baimashan scenic area

The third is to emphasize in enriching the connotation of scenic spots’ ecological carrying capacity construction, which requires effectively strengthening the development of ornamental and recreational value, and increasing the added benefit of scenic spots’ eco-economy. In this regard, a group of ecological and environment-friendly scenic spot facilities will spring up. It involves a 190-meter vertical sightseeing elevator at the Huangyan Tourist Transit Center in Goddess Peak Scenic Area, Wushan County, a 1500-meter aerial cable car in Chuanhegai Scenic Area, Xiushan, the sculpture of a prince and a fairy blowing kisses across the river in Tianchiqingyuan Scenic Area, Wulong District, and the skywalk in Wulong Longshuixia Fissure Gorge. In addition, Chongqing will effectively strengthen the construction of historical, cultural, and scientific value, and propel the in-depth integrated development of culture and tourism. More precisely, Chongqing will foster the Red Army theme culture of Cheshuiping Scenic Area, Qianjiang District, the Anti-Japanese War theme culture of Chongqing Historic Sites Museum of the War of Resistance Against Japan, the industry theme culture of Chongqing Industrial Museum, the intangible cultural heritage theme culture of Grass Linen Town, Rongchang. By this means, Chongqing will boost the development of scenic spots, as well as promote and inherit Chinese civilization.

The fourth is to strengthen the value and uniqueness, scale and abundance, and integrity construction of scenic spots’ ecological carrying capacity. It is required to attach equal importance to the development and overall protection, as well as the protection and installation of renewable and non-renewable resources. Chongqing will also comprehensively strengthen the instruction in self-sustaining and self-regulation capacities of an ecosystem, accommodation capacity of resources and environment subsystems, development capacity of the social economy subsystem in the first batch of nine municipal-level global tourism demonstration areas. It includes Qianjiang, Yuzhong, Beibei, Nanchuan, Dazu, Fengdu, Fengjie, Shizhu, and Wansheng. The city will strictly regulate the maximum carrying capacity of the scenic spot according to law, underscore the control of ecological carrying capacity, and manage the per capita ecological carrying capacity based on specific conditions in the scenic spot.