Greenway Cultural Tourism: Rural Revitalization Strategy and Natural Resource Management and Territorial Space Governance in Rural Areas

Greenway Introduction: On October 26, the 13th Rural Revitalization Lecture Hall, hosted by the Rural Revitalization Working Committee of the China Quality Agricultural Products Development and Service Association and jointly organized by the Greenway Cultural Tourism Rural Revitalization Research Institute and Greenway Business School, commenced. Dr. Yun Wenzhi, a second-level researcher at the Land Consolidation Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources, director of the Key Laboratory of Agricultural Land Quality and Monitoring of the Ministry of Natural Resources, director of the Land Engineering Technology Innovation Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources, and chief science communication expert in land science for the China Association for Science and Technology, Ministry of Natural Resources, and China Land Science Society, gave a lecture titled "Rural Revitalization Strategy and Natural Resource Management and Territorial Space Governance in Rural Areas." He detailed how to achieve multi-objective coordination and select multiple models for rural revitalization, covering understanding of rural revitalization, its evaluation, typical models, and pathways and recommendations.

Rural revitalization has a nine-character guideline: "Strong agriculture, beautiful countryside, wealthy farmers." Based on China's current reform and opening-up and the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, this "prospect" is fully achievable. If there is any concern, Greenway Cultural Tourism worries that "strong agriculture" may face certain difficulties. From this perspective, achieving all three objectives for rural revitalization while coordinating other goals—i.e., multi-objective coordination—presents some pressure, according to Greenway Cultural Tourism. So, how to achieve multi-objective coordination? Furthermore, China is vast, with significant differences among rural areas, so the model for rural revitalization is not singular. Thus, the question is how to choose among multiple models.

Today, Greenway Cultural Tourism will share insights on two aspects: how to achieve multi-objective coordination in rural revitalization and how to select among multiple models.

In the Central Rural Work Conference in 2020, leaders stated: "Persist in making solving the 'three rural issues' the top priority of the Party's work, mobilizing the entire Party and society to promote rural revitalization, and promoting high-quality and efficient agriculture, livable and workable rural areas, and prosperous and well-off farmers." The battle before rural revitalization—"poverty alleviation"—was fought well. After poverty alleviation, the new goal is rural revitalization, followed by a term called "common prosperity." If under the rural revitalization and new urbanization strategy we can achieve urban-rural integration and move toward common prosperity, this "article" will be even more uplifting.

Currently, people have different views on rural areas. As Greenway Cultural Tourism just mentioned, achieving "beautiful countryside" and "wealthy farmers" seems problem-free, but achieving "strong agriculture" is somewhat problematic. The main concern is the modernization of smallholder farmers. For large plain areas, if agricultural social services are well-established, the modernization of smallholder farmers in plains is not an issue. The real challenge is the modernization of smallholder farmers in hilly and mountainous areas. Regardless, rural revitalization is a grand vision worth anticipating, but it remains an arduous and heavy task. This is Greenway Cultural Tourism's understanding of the broader situation.

Greenway Cultural Tourism believes that true rural revitalization, when faced with the choice of "multi-objective, multi-model," essentially involves how to select a local rural revitalization strategy. This strategy presupposes achieving "agricultural and rural modernization, urban-rural integrated development, and handling new urban-rural industry relationships." Currently, managing these "three articles" is somewhat difficult. From Greenway Cultural Tourism's perspective, the core tasks are twofold: first, scientifically manage the various elements of natural resources; second, implement governance over the various elements of territorial space. Combining these two aims to optimize and utilize territorial space through natural resource management.

For natural resources in rural areas, these include agricultural resources and rural culture. Any rural area has natural, historical, and cultural value. From a natural resource perspective, these are worthy of exploration. Although some problems may exist, through exploration, coordination goals can be achieved, ultimately optimizing and governing territorial space. In other words, the level of "strong agriculture, beautiful countryside, wealthy farmers" that a unit of territorial space can support should be both focused on and achievable.

So, how to tap into rural natural resources?

First, identify the scenarios and models for rural revitalization development. At the county, town, or village level, what scenarios might rural revitalization produce? What preferences exist? Conduct simulation and analysis of these preferences.

Second, evaluate rural multifunctionality, clarifying multi-objective coordinated development positioning, types, characteristics, current status, patterns, and trends.

Third, analyze the connotation of rural multifunctionality, i.e., the value of rural areas.

Greenway Cultural Tourism believes the evaluation of rural revitalization can be divided into the following aspects: Currently, we mainly focus on production, living, ecology, and culture—these four dimensions are key to evaluating rural revitalization.

First, rural production. If production is neglected, it won't work; if rural areas are only seen as agricultural production, that is also inadvisable. So, rural areas must address both agricultural production and the integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. The evaluation of rural production must be conducted. In the future, agricultural production in rural revitalization must be competitive production, not reliant on subsidies or allowances to survive.

Second, rural living. If the rural living environment is poor, it loses appeal, but making it more urban than cities is also unsuitable. So, evaluation of rural living must also be carried out.

Third, ecological measurement. Ecology is key to rural appeal.

Fourth, culture. For cultural evaluation, it must be attractive.

Typical Models of Rural Revitalization

1. Specialized model: Multi-function separation, single-function dominance strategy. The single-function-dominant model drives overall improvement through one aspect. This is currently a common model. Japanese economists proposed "One Village, One Product" or "One Town, One Product," which Greenway Cultural Tourism supports. Dominant rural products need to be identified.

2. Integration model: Multi-function combination and coordination strategy. This model focuses not only on industry or products but also integrates other products or goals with production, ecology, living, and culture.

3. Diversification model: Based on cross-sector allocation of agricultural and rural elements, organic industrial integration, and innovation and entrepreneurship driving, develop various new industries and formats. For example, new formats based on multi-functional crops and creative agriculture: creative agricultural parks (activities, landscapes, culture, concepts, industrial integration), etc.

Revitalization Paths: On one hand, promote new formats like facility agriculture, landscape agriculture, and urban agriculture—"five nourishments and five creations"—combining agricultural production with modern technology and human elements, developing high-value-added agricultural products, and transforming traditional agriculture into modern efficient agriculture. On the other hand, improve the utilization efficiency of agricultural resources, achieve "turning waste into treasure," protect the environment, and shift modern agriculture toward green and ecological directions.

1. Precisely control agricultural efficiency and comprehensive levels. The core of "strong agriculture" is agricultural efficiency. Calculate agricultural efficiency: balance production and ecology, aiming for maximum expected output with minimal resource input and lowest pollutant emissions.

2. Restructure rural patterns to promote multi-functional development. For rural areas to be attractive, rural patterns must be reshaped. For rural areas to be vibrant, rural patterns must be reshaped. A beautiful countryside is just one condition for rural vitality.

3. Focus on both resources and environment to highlight and enhance ecological value. This concerns the baseline of rural areas. First, turn rural areas into "lucid waters and lush mountains"; without them, "gold and silver mountains" are out of reach.

4. Create functional cells to stimulate rural vitality. Considering future national rejuvenation, national prosperity, and people's happiness, plan rural layouts: production layout, living layout, natural and historical cultural heritage protection layout, etc. From this perspective, rural revitalization should incorporate a "cell" or "unit" concept.

Hosted by the Rural Revitalization Working Committee of China Quality Agricultural Products Development and Service Association

Jointly organized by Greenway Cultural Tourism Rural Revitalization Research Institute and Greenway Business School

Full live broadcast by Ranlv Video