Travel outside
Many people will be the local "Internet celebrity check-in point"
As a must-see stop on your trip
With more and more people traveling out
The "Internet celebrity check-in point" is also gradually strange
In addition to places of interest and commercial streets
Some local neighborhoods, houses, etc
It has also become a destination for some out-of-town tourists
For example, the hutongs of Beijing
The alleys of Shanghai
Liziba Station in Chongqing and so on
however
Crowds of tourists
Aboriginal people who give "Internet celebrity check-in points"
It also brought some trouble
There are local residents who are overwhelmed
A sign saying "No visit" was hung in front of the house
It is also thought that there are those who think
Tourists should be more accommodating
so
Between tourist visits and daily life of residents
Where is the balance?
Residential building listed "No visit"
The White Elephant Ju Community in Yuzhong District, Chongqing, has made many tourists curious because of its resemblance to a Rubik's Cube, 3 exits leading to 3 streets, and many commercial movies filmed here.
The White Elephant House has a very wide view, you can enjoy the river view, and you can also photograph the Yangtze River Cableway, Dongshuimen Bridge, Chaotianmen Raffles City and other well-known buildings in Chongqing. Coupled with the fact that in recent years, many movies of "Hotpot Heroes" have been filmed here, and White Elephant House has become a new Internet celebrity check-in destination in Chongqing. In 2018, the White Elephant House was listed as one of the new ten scenic spots in Chongqing's mother city.
White Elephant Residence Passage (Photo by reporter Deng Bo)
However, a recent video on the Internet showed that the White Elephant House, known as a tourist check-in spot, was fenced off and refused access to visitors. The video shows that at the entrance of the White Elephant House, several people are on duty, and a handwritten sign next to it reads, "Residents' residences, no visits."
The video sparked heated discussions among netizens. On May 25, the reporter visited the White Elephant House and saw that there were many residents on duty at the entrance, and the signboard "Residents' residences, no visits" was still there, but tourists could enter after registering their personal information.
Residents on duty at the entrance of the White Elephant House (photo by reporter Deng Bo)
Mr. Pan, who wore the red armband of the "White Elephant Resident Volunteer Alliance Internet Celebrity Check-in Order Maintenance Team" on his shoulder, told reporters that there are more than 500 households living in the white elephant, and because tourists flock to check in, it has caused a lot of trouble to the daily life of residents. Therefore, the residents spontaneously organized and maintained the order of the tour through persuasion, dredging, etc. Two days ago, they set up a signboard saying "Residential Residence, No Visit", but for White Elephant Residences to visit relatives and friends, and homestay guests, they can enter through registration.
The reporter noticed that outside the entrance of the White Elephant House, there was a booth for the self-management service point of the White Elephant House Internet celebrity check-in residents, and there was a "Notice to Tourists" under the guard box, reminding tourists to be orderly, civilized and abide by order when checking in.
Some residents can't bear to be disturbed by tourists
Mr. Pan said that the White Elephant House is an open community, because there is no management, tourists have increased, and there are chaos such as littering and spitting in residential buildings, and even tourists forcibly entering residential houses to go to the toilet and take photos. Mr. Pan also introduced that the entrance and exit passage of the entire White Elephant House is only more than two meters wide, and there are residents setting up stalls in the passage, and the passage wires are connected indiscriminately, which also has potential safety hazards.
Mr. Wang, a resident of Baixiangju in his 60s this year, told reporters that his mother, who is in her 90s, fell ill during the May Day holiday this year, but because the flow of tourists was too large, the passage of residential buildings was not smooth, and 120 emergency personnel could not enter. Mr. Wang and the volunteers shouted loudly to persuade and laboriously carried the 90-year-old woman out of the community.
Aunt Li, who has lived in White Elephant for more than three years, said that on weekends and holidays, you must go out early to buy vegetables, and after 10 o'clock, tourists will slowly increase. Aunt Li also said that more tourists will be very noisy and will also affect life.
Aunt Cai, who has lived in the white elephant for more than 20 years, said that after too many tourists, the passage of the corridor was affected and it was difficult to pass. However, she also said that foreign tourists visiting Chongqing, as local residents, can only overcome as much as possible, "It is impossible to get people away, do not want people to come." ”
Tourists check in and take photos in the White Elephant Residence (Photo by reporter Deng Bo)
There are also residents who are welcoming to tourists. From the entrance with a sign saying "Residential Residence, No Visits" to enter the White Elephant Residence, which is the 12th floor of the residential building and the main floor for tourists to check in. This floor is a façade house, and the residents of White Elephant House have restaurants, coffee shops, etc. on this floor. Mr. Liu, who runs a restaurant in the middle of the 12th floor, told reporters that the white elephant residence above the 12th floor is a residential building, tourists cannot enter, tourists can only go down from the 12th floor to the 8th floor of the platform. From the 8th to the 12th floor, many houses have been developed into coffee houses, homestays, etc., and some houses are still vacant for rent.
White elephant house shop façade (photo by reporter Deng Bo)
Mr. Liu believes that tourists coming to visit do not actually enter the residential area, although it has a little impact, but it is also good for residents, many owners open shops or stalls in Baixiangju, tourists come to visit, but also bring economic income. Mr. Liu said that opening his own shop requires tourists to be popular, and if tourists are turned away, he will not be able to do business.
Aunt Mei has lived in the white elephant for more than ten years, and she has a shop selling water and cigarettes on the 12th floor. Aunt Mei told reporters that there were also dirty and messy phenomena in the white elephant residence before, and even open defecation and other behaviors. After the popularity of the White Elephant House, no public toilets were built, and in response to the needs of tourists, some residents opened their own toilets for tourists to use. Aunt May said that even if tourists are reluctant to spend, they will point tourists to the location of public toilets.
Aunt Mei believes that tourists come all the way from other places to visit the White Elephant House, and the visit will not cause too much trouble to everyone, "It is impossible to say that there is no impact at all, but I think this impact can be overcome." Aunt May said that she did not want to be turned away by locals when she went abroad.
Residents spontaneously maintain order
On May 25, the reporter came to the Baixiang Street Community Neighborhood Committee where the White Elephant House is located to learn about the situation, and a community worker said that the matter was still being coordinated.
The staff member issued a detailed information note to reporters. The explanation shows that after receiving the situation that the residents of the White Elephant House refused to check in and visit from outside, the community immediately understood the situation on the scene, and in recent years, the number of tourists who went to the White Elephant House to check in has risen sharply, up to several thousand people per day, and reached a peak of more than 30,000 people during the May Day.
Tourists line up at the entrance to register (Photo by reporter Deng Bo)
The fact sheet also shows that due to too many foreign tourists and the residents are overwhelmed, on the afternoon of May 23, the residents of the community spontaneously organized the "residents' self-government group" to set up a sign at the gate of the White Elephant House to register visitors for access, spontaneously maintaining the internal order management of the Baixiangju residential building and maintaining the tranquility of the community. At present, the Baixiang Street Community Neighborhood Committee has intervened in the coordination of residents' self-government groups, striving to find a balance between tourists' visits and residents' demands.
On the afternoon of May 25, the reporter also called the Yuzhong District Cultural and Tourism Committee of Chongqing Municipality to learn about the situation. A staff member introduced that the White Elephant House is a natural formation of the Internet celebrity check-in place, not a scenic spot, under the jurisdiction of Chaotianmen Street, at present, the local cultural and tourism department and the street has no relevant planning to regulate the phenomenon of White Elephant Residence check-in.
Expert advice:
Can be channeled and limited
Mr. Pan, a resident of the White Elephant Residence, told reporters that the people of Chongqing are warm and hospitable, and tourists from all over the country are also welcome to visit the White Elephant Residence. He hopes that the relevant departments can actively intervene and carry out a standardized comprehensive management of the White Elephant Residence, which can not only allow the owners to be troubled, but also allow tourists to visit to their heart's content.
The "crowding" of tourists visiting and causing distress to local residents has also occurred in other cities. For example, Anfu Road in Shanghai has become the "center of the street photography universe" due to its beautiful street scene, and many Internet celebrities and tourists will come to visit, causing inconvenience to the residents who already live on this street.
For example, in order to experience the most simple and real hutong life, some tourists enter the houses without authorization when traveling in Beijing, and many residents have to put up signs on their doors: "Private houses, no visits".
Shang Zhongsheng, deputy director and distinguished professor of the Urban Security and Social Management Research Center of Wuhan University, believes that how to balance urban tourism development with the daily life of native residents tortures the wisdom of urban management of relevant departments. If it can be balanced, to a certain extent, it can revitalize local cultural and tourism resources and promote social and economic development.
White Elephant Residence Passage (Photo by reporter Deng Bo)
Shang Zhongsheng said that there is now a phenomenon of bunching in domestic tourism, and tourists flock to check in, which is a good thing for the local city, but because tourists suddenly get together, the local authorities have no advance plan, and they have no time to intervene in management, and these Internet celebrity check-in points will develop disorderly after exceeding the carrying range, causing trouble to the native residents.
Shang Zhongsheng told reporters that community streets have the obligation to solve residents' troubles, and in view of the troubles suffered by White Elephant Residence, first, the community or street can send staff or volunteers to White Elephant House to guide and persuade tourists; The second is to implement a reservation flow restriction system, and control the number of tourists within the carrying range of the White Elephant House by booking a visit; Third, the Cultural and Tourism Committee and other relevant departments should actively support basic public facilities and expand the carrying capacity of tourists in White Elephant Residence. Comprehensive polar news, news room
Source: CCTV