The Impact of Cultural Environment on the Participation of Eco-immigrant Communities in Ecotourism in the Three Rivers’ Source Area. A Case Study of Mani Stone Project in Kunlun Eco-immigrant Village (China)

Abstract

With participation in ecotourism, eco-immigrant communities in the Three Rivers’ Source area attempt to use abundant cultural resources in Tibetan region to make their own development path. As an example, the villagers of Kunlun eco-immigrant has attempted to develop tourism by producing and selling Mani stone (a Tibetan stone engraved of sacred Buddhist formulae). However, this practice is queried by some Tibetan intellectuals, community members, and relevant scholars. Besides, the complexity of Tibetan culture also has some negative effects on the project. Therefore, the project does not run smoothly. In the terms of protecting traditional Tibetan culture, in this essay, phenomenon mentioned above will be analyzed in three aspects: acculturation theory, stereotype and influences of interest structures.