Yancheng Wetland and World Natural Heritage Conservation and Management Center awarded Badou Village the "Practice Base for World Heritage Conservation and Community Collaborative Development". Photo by Yu Congwen
Yancheng, July 5 (Reporter Yu Congwen) "Two years ago, the successful application for heritage has completely changed the lagging strategy of the Badou people to reclaim the beach and develop the economy, and now, the results of retiring and wetting are remarkable, in the wetland protection area, the elk population and the spread area have developed rapidly, the species and number of wild animals have been significantly improved, and more and more rare birds have gathered and inhabited here, forming a harmonious symbiosis scene in which fishermen sing and return late and seabirds accompany the sunset." On the 5th, Ye Yong, general secretary of the party branch of Badou Village in Jiangsu Dongtai Port Town, on the shore of the Yellow Sea, introduced the gratifying changes brought by the successful application for the Yellow Sea Wetland to the small fishing village.
The "Social Practice Base for College Students" was unveiled in Weigang Town. Photo by Yu Congwen
On that day, it marked the second anniversary of the successful inscription of the Huang (Bohai) Sea Migratory Bird Habitat (Phase I) on the World Heritage List in China. A World Natural Heritage Into the Community event with the theme of "Co-construction and Sharing : Coordinated Development of Communities and World Heritage Sites" was held in Badou Village, Beigang Town, located in the mud of Dongtai Tiaozi, a natural heritage site of the Yellow Sea Wetland. At the event, natural heritage conservation scholars discussed the direction and path of the coordinated development of the community and the World Heritage Site, and the villagers of Badou Village "manifested themselves" to show that in the past two years, the small fishing village has transformed from "relying on the sea to eat the sea" to "nourishing the sea and protecting the sea" and ecological development.
Badou Village folk performance "Fishing Horn". Photo by Yu Congwen
How can natural heritage sites and communities be co-built, co-governed and shared? Ye Yong said that Badou is a cape fishing village that comes from the sea and then goes to the sea. In the past hundred years, the sea has been moving eastward, and Badou has followed suit to the east. Generation after generation of Badou people, in the years of chasing the sea to live, have created dozens of labor modes of cultivating the sea, herding and fishing, and the shellfish group dance of "sea disco" has become the most beautiful labor posture; "fishing boat trumpet", "pullnet minor key" and "hook and clam song" have become beautiful sea music. These are unique resources for the development of fishing village tours. After the successful application for heritage, Badou Village guided the fishermen to transform from "relying on the sea to eat the sea" to "raising the sea and protecting the sea" and ecological development. The newly developed seafood restaurants, 12 homestays and various seafood specialty stores have formed a unique fisherman's style of seaside characteristic street. Watching the tide, watching seabirds, tasting seafood, living in fishermen, enjoying fishing fun, and visiting fishing villages here has become the characteristics and brand of Badou rural tourism, and has gradually formed an eco-tourism industry integrating ecology, tourism, leisure and shopping. The people of Badou Village not only served the "ecological bowl", but also ate the "green rice", and won the title of "National Ecological and Cultural Village" in 2021.
Badou village villagers song and dance performance. Photo by Yu Congwen
At the event, Wu Haohan, a teacher from the Yellow Sea Wetland Research Institute, took Badou Village as an example and explained the mutual promotion and win-win symbiosis between heritage sites and communities from many aspects. He said that most residents consciously or unconsciously practice the concept and idea of synergy between ecological protection and community development, and at the same time strive to explore the road of sustainable development on the basis of heritage protection.
Wetland conservation scholars gave a lecture on "Collaborative Development of Heritage and Communities". Photo by Yu Congwen
At the event site, Yancheng Wetland and World Natural Heritage Conservation and Management Center awarded Badou Village the "Practice Base for World Heritage Protection and Community Coordinated Development". Wu Qijiang, director of the center, expressed the hope that he would gradually establish a linkage mechanism for the sharing and co-governance of heritage communities and strengthen dialogue and cooperation among communities. Assist Badou Village to provide tools and means for sustainable tourism in Badou Village by formulating the most appropriate programs, guiding tourism resources and investment, creating market opportunities for residents, respecting and excavating community culture, etc., so that it can become the broadest participant and the biggest beneficiary of the protection and sustainable development of heritage sites, and achieve the win-win strategic goal of heritage protection and community development. (End)
Source: China News Network