Traveling through time and space.

Chapter 233 The Role of Taoist Culture in the Development of Rural Folk Tourism

Mu Yang emerged from the conference room of his biotech company. The sunlight gently bathed him in warmth, yet it couldn't dispel the eagerness and enthusiasm he felt for expanding his new venture. The initial success of his biobank brought him joy, but his vision had already moved beyond the present to a broader horizon. Currently, rural tourism is booming, a shining star, a new engine driving economic development and cultural heritage. With his keen business acumen, Mu Yang perceived a natural fit between Taoist culture and rural folk tourism, a match made in heaven. A clever integration would imbue rural tourism with a unique charm and open up a new path of development filled with boundless possibilities. Driven by a sense of mission and accomplishment in the role of Taoist culture in the development of rural folk tourism, Mu Yang resolutely embarked on a journey into the countryside, determined to explore the optimal path for the integration of Taoist culture and rural folk tourism.

The first rural tourist attraction Muyang arrived at was surrounded by rolling hills, like guardians of the earth, embracing this beautiful countryside. The rural scenery unfolded like a slowly unfolding poetic scroll. Golden rice paddies rippled in the breeze, contrasting with the scattered farmhouses, creating a tranquil and beautiful rural scene. The staff at the rural tourist attraction were bustling with activity, shuttling through every corner of the area, making final preparations for the opening of the new attraction. Their faces were filled with the fiery passion and dedication to creating a unique destination. Director Liu, the scenic area's director, spotted Mu Yang from afar and quickly stepped forward, his face beaming with excitement. He said, "Mr. Mu, you couldn't be more timely! We're following your valuable suggestions and working tirelessly to incorporate Taoist cultural elements to create a unique attraction. Look over there, that newly completed Taoist-style pavilion, with its flying eaves, brackets, carved beams, and painted buildings, exudes an antique charm that blends perfectly with the surrounding natural landscape. We put a lot of effort into building this pavilion, investing [X] million yuan in total. From the meticulous selection of building materials, every brick and stone, every piece of wood was strictly screened for its finest quality and pristine texture, to the hiring of craftsmen, we specially invited experienced and skilled traditional artisans. With skills passed down from generation to generation, they have created this pavilion with the ancient charm of Taoist architecture, and every detail reveals ingenuity."

Mu Yang looked up at the newly built pavilion, his eyes full of admiration, and nodded in praise. "Director Liu, your work is truly satisfactory. However, integrating Taoist culture into the development of rural folk tourism requires considerable initial investment in resources, and the subsequent tourism revenue is still uncertain. What are your considerations on this point?"

Director Liu frowned slightly, a hint of worry on his face. "Mr. Mu, you've hit the nail on the head. It's not just the construction of the scenic spot that requires a huge investment; cultural displays and tour guide training also require substantial financial support. Take the cultural displays, for example. To create an area that comprehensively and vividly showcases Taoist culture, we estimate we'll need to invest another [X] million yuan. Currently, ticket revenue at the scenic spot is unstable and fluctuates widely, leaving us feeling uncertain. We're worried that our initial investment won't be recouped in a timely manner. Furthermore, as you know, other surrounding rural tourism attractions are also developing rapidly, and competition is fierce. We're feeling considerable pressure in this competition. Last month, the neighboring scenic spot launched a new folk experience program, which attracted quite a few visitors and had a certain impact on our visitor flow."

Mu Yang pondered for a moment and slowly said, "Director Liu, we must take a long-term view when looking at this issue. Although the initial investment is indeed huge, as long as we can successfully create a unique Taoist cultural tourism brand, with its unique appeal, it will inevitably attract more tourists. At that time, the revenue will naturally increase gradually. In terms of publicity and promotion, we must keep up with the trend of the times and make full use of the powerful communication power of new media platforms. For example, we can produce exquisite short videos that showcase the scenic area's Taoist cultural attractions, wonderful folk activities, and the wonderful experiences of tourists, and publish them on major short video platforms; hold live broadcasts and invite professional tour guides or cultural scholars to introduce the scenic area's Taoist cultural connotations in detail during the live broadcast, interact with the audience in real time, and answer their questions. At the same time, we must continuously optimize the service quality of the scenic area. From the moment tourists enter the scenic area to their departure, every link must be perfect, providing tourists with comfortable, convenient, and caring services to enhance their travel experience."

During discussions about establishing a Taoist cultural themed tour route, competition and conflict among various rural tourism operators over the allocation of Taoist cultural tourism resources gradually surfaced. Xiao Zhang, who was in charge of planning the scenic area's tour routes, excitedly proposed his idea: "Director Liu, I think we should place the Taoist cultural themed tour route in the heart of the scenic area. Think about it, this location has a high flow of visitors and is easily visible to tourists. This will attract more tourists to follow this route and maximize the display of our Taoist cultural characteristics."

But Xiao Li, who is in charge of the Folk Culture Exhibition Hall, immediately objected: "No, no, the exhibition hall also carries rich and profound Taoist cultural content. It is an important place for tourists to gain a deeper understanding of Taoist cultural background. The tour route should pass through the exhibition hall, allowing tourists to gain a comprehensive understanding of Taoist culture there before visiting the scenic area. This way, they can better appreciate the beautiful integration of Taoist culture and rural life, and the tourists' visit experience will be richer and more complete."

Director Liu quickly stepped in to mediate: "Everyone, please don't rush. We can't just think from our own perspective; we need to comprehensively consider the tourists' experience and the overall layout of the scenic area. Perhaps we can design multiple tour routes to meet the needs of different tourists. For example, we could design a route that focuses on an in-depth experience of Taoist culture, passing through exhibition halls and various Taoist cultural attractions; and then design a route that focuses on natural scenery and leisure and entertainment, allowing tourists to enjoy the beautiful scenery while also experiencing the atmosphere of Taoist culture."

Mu Yang added, "Yes, our core goal is to be tourist-centric, and all decisions must fully consider their interests and needs. At the same time, all operating entities must strengthen communication and collaboration to form an organic whole and jointly create a complete and wonderful Taoist cultural tourism experience. Only in this way can we remain invincible in the fierce market competition."

Mu Yang arrived at the Rural Folk Culture Exhibition Hall, where the museum's guides were intently organizing the exhibits, preparing them for the approaching tourists. Seeing Mu Yang, guide Xiao Wang greeted him warmly, a proud smile on his face. "Mr. Mu, please come and take a look! These are all folk artifacts related to Taoist culture that we've painstakingly and meticulously collected. There are instruments used in Taoist rituals, each with a unique shape and meaning, carrying the profound depth of Taoist culture; there are also traditional costumes, whose styles, patterns, and colors are rich in Taoist cultural connotations. To collect these precious items, we traveled to several villages, inquiring and searching everywhere, spending a total of [X] million yuan. Furthermore, we also produced exquisite multimedia display materials. Through videos, pictures, text, and other forms, we detail the specific manifestations of Taoist culture in rural folk activities, allowing visitors to gain a more intuitive and in-depth understanding of the close connection between Taoist culture and rural folklore."

Mu Yang carefully examined the displayed objects with great interest, nodding his head in approval. "Xiao Wang, you're very professional. I can see you've put a lot of effort into this. However, during the presentation, when integrating traditional Taoist culture with local rural folk culture, there may be conflicts in values ​​and forms of expression. How did you skillfully handle this in your explanation?"

Xiao Wang replied confidently, "Mr. Mu, your question is crucial. When I explain Daoist culture, I'll emphasize the mutual influence and integration between the two. For example, when I discuss Daoist festivals, I'll incorporate local village traditions and detail how villagers integrate Daoist rituals with distinctive village activities. For example, during important Daoist festivals, local villagers hold grand temple fairs featuring not only traditional Daoist rituals but also distinctive dragon and lion dances, folk craft demonstrations, and other activities. These fairs allow visitors to gain a deep understanding of how Daoist culture has taken root and flourished in rural life. However, there are indeed significant differences in the way visitors from different regions respond to the forms and content of Daoist cultural displays. Some visitors are deeply interested in Daoist culture, asking in-depth questions and even discussing Daoist philosophy with me. Others, however, may be more interested in the natural scenery and delicious food of the village, paying less attention to the displays and simply taking a quick look."

Mu Yang smiled and said, "This requires us to flexibly adjust the content and methods of our explanations based on tourists' feedback. For those tourists who are interested in Taoist culture, we need to provide more in-depth and professional cultural interpretations to satisfy their curiosity. For those who are less interested, we can use simple, easy-to-understand, vivid and interesting methods to introduce the close connection between Taoist culture and rural life, sparking their interest and allowing them to inadvertently experience the unique charm of Taoist culture."

Later, Mu Yang arrived at a rural farmhouse. The owner, Lao Zhang, was bustling about in the kitchen, preparing to serve a Taoist-themed dish, the aroma filling the courtyard. Upon seeing Mu Yang, Lao Zhang greeted him warmly, his face awash with a simple smile. "Mr. Mu, you've arrived just in time! Come try our newly developed dishes, all designed according to Taoist health principles. Take this 'Five Elements Health Dish,' for example. We've used five different colored ingredients, corresponding to the five elements of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, symbolizing the balance of the five elements and a healthy lifestyle. To develop these dishes, we hired a professional nutritionist, spending [X] million yuan. Based on Taoist health principles and incorporating the characteristics of local ingredients, the nutritionist meticulously crafted these delicious and healthy dishes."

After tasting it, Mu Yang praised it highly: "Lao Zhang, this tastes absolutely amazing! Your active attempts and explorations in incorporating Taoist cultural elements are very worthy of recognition and praise. However, in terms of resource allocation, there may be potential conflicts between Taoist cultural elements and other folk cultural elements. What are your views on this issue?"

Old Zhang scratched his head, smiled naively, and said, "Mr. Mu, you're absolutely right. We've been thinking about this too. We particularly want to highlight the characteristics of Taoist culture so that visitors can feel the rich Taoist cultural atmosphere as soon as they arrive at our farmhouse. But at the same time, we don't want to ignore other rural folk cultures. After all, rural farming culture, food culture, etc. are our precious treasures. Therefore, in the layout of the restaurant, we plan to display Taoist cultural elements, such as hanging some Taoist calligraphy and paintings, and displaying Taoist ritual instrument models; we also plan to incorporate some traditional rural farming cultural elements, such as using farm tools as decorations to showcase traditional rural farming scenes, so that visitors can experience the fusion and collision of multiple cultures while enjoying the food."

Mu Yang nodded in agreement. "Lao Zhang, your idea is very good. During the operation, we must listen more to tourists' opinions and suggestions, and adjust dishes and services in a timely manner according to market demand. At the same time, we must strengthen cooperation with scenic spots and exhibition halls to form a complete tourism industry chain. For example, we can cooperate with scenic spots to launch packages that include scenic spot tickets, farmhouse meals and accommodation; and cooperate with exhibition halls to organize tourists to experience Taoist cultural specialties at farmhouses after visiting the exhibition halls. This will not only attract more tourists, but also make their travel experience richer and more fulfilling."

With the gradual development of rural folk tourism, the integration of Taoist culture has opened a new door for rural tourism like a magic key, attracting more and more tourists. In the scenic area, tourists strolled leisurely along the carefully designed Taoist cultural theme tour route, their ears echoing with the Taoist stories vividly told by the tour guide. Those ancient legends seemed to travel through time and space, coming alive in the minds of tourists. Tourists often exclaimed in amazement, deeply impressed by the breadth and depth of Taoist culture. In the folk culture exhibition hall, tourists watched the multimedia displays intently, deeply attracted by the unique embodiment of Taoist culture in rural folk activities. They stopped to stare or whispered to each other, and developed a strong interest in the integration of Taoist culture and rural folk customs. In the farmhouse, tourists sat around the dining table, savoring Taoist cultural specialties, experiencing the perfect combination of Taoist health concepts and food, and then checked into the Taoist-style homestay rooms, relaxing in the tranquil and peaceful atmosphere, and reluctant to leave.

"I feel extremely gratified and proud to see that rural tourism has become full of vitality and vigor due to the integration of Taoist culture. I have firm expectations that Taoist culture will continue to contribute to the development of rural tourism. In the future, we must continue to explore the integration points of Taoist culture and rural folk culture, and constantly innovate tourism products and services. We plan to hold a grand Taoist culture-themed rural tourism festival in the coming year, inviting more tourists to participate, and through a variety of activities such as Taoist culture lectures, traditional folk performances, Taoist food festivals, etc., to further enhance the popularity and influence of rural tourism. At the same time, we must strengthen cooperation with surrounding villages to jointly build a Taoist culture rural tourism cluster, form economies of scale, and let more people understand and love our rural tourism." Mu Yang said with emotion at a rural tourism development seminar.

In the days to come, Muyang will continue to unswervingly promote the deep integration of Taoist culture and rural folk tourism, so that religious culture and rural folk culture can promote each other and prosper together, and contribute more wisdom and strength to the vigorous development of the rural tourism industry.