Routes to enlightenment

"We will strive to help everyone appreciate local history and Hakka culture, overseas Chinese culture, rural tourism and folk customs on the learning tours here," Qin says.

Zhoutian village is part of the Nanyue ancient post road, a major cultural relic-themed tourism route that China is working to develop further.

The country is planning to pilot up to five cultural heritage-themed national-level tourism routes as part of the country's 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), according to government authorities.

In May, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the National Development and Reform Commission jointly released a circular about the establishment of such routes, which are designed to revolve around China's immovable cultural relics, including ancient cultural sites, such as tombs and cave temples.

Other elements, ranging from historical and cultural towns and cities, agricultural and industrial heritage, to museums and memorial halls, natural landscapes and scenic spots, are also expected to be integrated into the project, based on the subject of each route.

The themed tourism routes will also be interconnected with the construction of national cultural parks and relevant national strategies. The routes are designed to further leverage the rich traditional cultural resources, including cultural relics, across the country.

The circular also urged efforts to examine and analyze the status of cultural heritage protection and management. It seeks to establish a list of immovable cultural relic sites that are currently in operation, and maximize the integration of eligible sites into the tourism routes.

At the end of November, the National Cultural Heritage Administration hosted a work conference on the development of such tourism routes in Huizhou.

It was aimed at boosting efforts by related parties in the development of those routes.