Abstract:

Geological cultural villages are emerging as a novel industrial pattern driving rural tourism development. The foundation and essence of these villages lie in their distinctive geological heritage resources and geological significance. However, as a new form of tourism attraction centered on geology, clearly defining and excavating the tourism-geological culture of geological cultural villages remains a weak link in their construction. This paper, using the construction of Dongcha Geological Cultural Village as a case study, explores the unique geological heritage resources and the connotations of tourism-geological culture within the village. Based on field investigations, Dongcha Village boasts a myriad of geological wonders, including various pictographic stone landscapes formed by alpine carbonate rock topography, Middle Proterozoic Jixianian stromatolite fossils, and densely packed step-like waterfall groups. These wonders are integrated with the unique tectonic features of Dongcha and the layered gorge landscapes within the plateau. With its unique geographical location, rich historical and cultural heritage, and distinctive Hehuang Tibetan folk customs, Dongcha Village has the potential to develop into a “geology+eco-tourism” geological cultural village. Rooted in its geological environment, Dongcha’s tourism-geological culture seamlessly blends geoheritage with natural and human resources, as well as rural culture. Through the in-depth integration of geology and tourism, this paper proposes a framework for tourism-geological culture in the development of geological culture villages. Through analyzing this culture, we aim to enhance the quality of geological cultural village development, fully implementing the construction principles of “geology as the foundation, culture as the soul, integration as the key, and benefiting the people as the essence”. This approach promotes the protection of regional geological relics, disseminates and popularizes geoscience knowledge, drives regional leisure tourism, and contributes to the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas.

Key words: geoheritage resources, tourism-geological culture, geological culture village, exploration of connotation, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Dongcha