The grand canyon was spectacular. In addition to the gorgeous vistas and a ridiculous amount of stairs, there was an array of snacking along the way. the main thing that kept me going was knowing that there was going to be a snack stop coming up anytime soon. We all mostly went at our own pace, but often times met up around the snacks. There was one snack stand selling these stuffed pita pancakes. (I had 3). It was great fuel to get us going. While we were in this beautiful natural land formation there was an interesting intersection between the modern and the old. The trail was mostly composed of stairs, but at one point had an elevator against the side of the mountain to bring you to the top. (I opted for the stairs). They also had multiple escalators up and down the side of the canyon. However, just by looking at it, you wouldnt be able to tell that they were there. The ingenious of the architecture was that all modern installments were masked by traditional structures. This really made a difference when looking at the landscape it looked almost untouched by man. SO SMART! (Aza)
March 12th, 2024 · Comments Off on Enshi Grand Canyon and Tourism (Ziyao)
What a day in Enshi Grand Canyon! As an ambitious and accomplished group, we walked for 7 hours in the mountains, covering both the crack and the valley trails. I’m writing as my calves are still sore, but I would trade anything for seeing the amazing view and this “stairs-trauma” bonding experience.
The Valley Crack
Thinking about how many years it would take for this landscape to form is beyond breathtaking. I enjoyed touching the cliff stone and feeling the vapor coming out of the waterfall. Of course we have to periodically take breaks to catch some breaths, but that also prompts some of our encounters with the local carriers who are waiting to carry customers up to mountain top.
Beautiful Waterfall
After our long day in the canyon, we met up with Prof. Xie from CCNU and heard her talk more about Enshi tourism. So she explained that the service workers are mostly from Tu ethnic group, and the carriers were farmers in the past but they could not generate income from farming alone. Now they make money because of the development of tourism.
As I reflect upon her observation, I feel a little conflicted about the development of tourism. I do think the tourism would generate more employment opportunities for local residents, but they are never high-level jobs. It’s mainly manual labor that is easily replaceable. As a state-owned park, most of the generated revenue from tourism still goes to the government. And now since everything inside the park is state-owned, local people who used to live in or around the mountains can no longer use the resources from the area.
I wonder if we think in terms of sustainability, is the way our tourism is structured here in Enshi a sustainable way to use the environment or the ethnic human capital?
