Digital Empowerment of Rural Camping Culture and Tourism in Yunnan: Empirical Evidence and Strategies of Yao Medicine Integration—Taking Sangongzhu Yao Medicine Camp in Hekou County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture as an Example
Main Article Content
Abstract
Digital Economy Offers New Pathways for the Integration of Rural Camping Culture and Tourism with Ethnic Medicine in Border Minority RegionsThis study investigates how the digital economy provides innovative solutions for integrating rural camping tourism with ethnic medicine in border minority areas. Based on theories of cultural heritage preservation, sustainable ecological development, and digital governance, we construct a Digital Empowerment Framework incorporating intelligent monitoring, multi-source information fusion, and AR/VR immersive interactive technologies. Using the Sangongzhu Yao Medicine Camp in Hekou County, Yunnan Province, as a case study, we employ mixed methods—including field surveys, interviews, and questionnaires—to analyze the “Digital + Yao Medicine + Camping” integration model. The evaluation spans economic, social, and cultural dimensions to assess its efficacy.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
References
S. Cui, “Research on the development of rural wellness tourism in Yunnan,” Shanghai Business, no. 10, pp. 122-124, 2025.
M. Lin, S. Wang, S. Shen, et al., “Research progress on Yao medicine resources,” World Chinese Medicine, vol. 15, no. 11, pp. 1565-1570, 2020, doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-7202.2020.11.010.
Yunnan Provincial People's Government, “14th Five-Year Plan for Cultural and Tourism Development of Yunnan Province,” Kunming: Yunnan Provincial People's Government, 2022.
Yunnan Provincial Department of Science and Technology, Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and Yunnan Provincial Rural Revitalization Bureau, “Six major initiatives for science and technology to support rural revitalization in Yunnan (2021-2025),” [EB/OL], Oct. 14, 2021. [Accessed: Jul. 29, 2026].
Q. Zheng, C. Tang, and Y. Zhang, “Process and mechanism of digital empowerment for deep integration of rural culture and tourism: A case study of Wusi Village, Zhejiang Province,” Progress in Geography, vol. 43, no. 10, pp. 1956-1973, 2024.
D. Jin and H. Chen, “Mechanism and path of digital twin technology empowering integrated development of rural agriculture, culture and tourism,” Journal of Northwest Minzu University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition), no. 2, pp. 107-117, 2026, doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1001-5140.2026.02.012.
J. Liu, “Dilemma examination and breakthrough paths of rural cultural revitalization in ethnic minority areas,” Rural Technology, vol. 17, no. 7, pp. 42-47, 2026, doi: 10.19345/j.cnki.1674-7909.2026.07.007.
J. Haryono, Nurbaeti, S. Sulartiningrum, and W. Arafah, “Digital transformation of rural tourism villages: A systematic literature review on strategies, challenges, and opportunities for sustainable tourism development,” Technium Social Sciences Journal, vol. 73, pp. 359-369, 2025, doi: 10.47577/tssj.v73i1.12936.
M. Shehade, “Enhancing cultural heritage tourism in rural areas through augmented reality: A case study from Cyprus,” in Innovation and Creativity in Tourism, Business and Social Sciences, V. Katsoni, Ed. Springer, 2025, pp. 281-294.
S. Gao, X. Bi, D. Bi, et al., “Research on integrated development of culture and tourism in border ethnic minority areas from the perspective of public cultural products: A case study of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province,” Journal of Yunnan Agricultural University (Social Sciences Edition), vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 1-5, 2020.
H. Sun and X. Pu, “Exploration of optimization paths for ethnic Chinese medicine industry empowering rural industrial revitalization: A case study of Yao medicine in Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County,” Shanxi Agricultural Economy, no. 13, pp. 92-95, 2025.
X. Sun, H. Qin, H. Tian, et al., “Research on integrated development of traditional Chinese medicine and ‘wellness and tourism’ industries based on industrial convergence theory,” Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine Management, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 213-217, 2026.
M. Rahmanita, R. Suprina, R. Ingkadijaya, et al., “Safeguarding Mentawai indigenous healing through indigenous tourism: A strategic framework for cultural preservation and sustainable development,” KnE Social Sciences, 2025.
A. Asase, “Ghana's herbal medicine industry: Prospects, challenges and ways forward from a developing country perspective,” Frontiers in Pharmacology, vol. 14, Art. no. 1267398, 2023, doi: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1267398.
W. Ye, X. Huang, M. Jiang, et al., “Research on innovative development models of rural camping under rural revitalization strategy,” Shanxi Agricultural Economy, no. 4, pp. 182-184, 2025.
Y. Zhou, “Strategy research on integrating local characteristics into rural campsites under rural revitalization background,” Beauty and Times (City Edition), no. 1, pp. 142-144, 2025.
L. Zhong, X. Zhang, J. Deng, and C. Pierskalla, “Recreation ecology research in China's protected areas: Progress and prospect,” Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, vol. 6, no. 1, 2020, doi: 10.1080/20964129.2020.1813635.
A. Zhang and Y. He, “Research on urban youth's exquisite camping from the perspective of Böhme's atmosphere aesthetics,” Tourism Science, vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 104-119, 2025.
Honghe Prefecture Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission, “Hekou County Xingfu Village consolidation and improvement: Millennium Yao medicine boosts villagers' income,” [EB/OL], Jul. 17, 2025. https://www.hh.gov.cn/info/10501/1192852.htm.
Y. Lu, “Research on development model of labor education practice base for Jinxiu Yao medicine wellness culture based on industrialization,” Agricultural Industrialization, no. 2, pp. 16-18, 2025.
F. Zhang and L. Lu, “Inheritance and development of ethnic minority culture from Bourdieu's ‘cultural capital’ theory: A case study of Shizhu Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqing,” Journal of Chongqing Radio and TV University, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 48-52, 2012.
X. Zeng, Y. Yang, Y. Liu, et al., “Research on living inheritance of Huayao herbal culture from the perspective of digital cultural creativity,” New Media Research, vol. 11, no. 9, pp. 11-15, 2025, doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2096-0360.2025.09.004.
Yunnan Provincial Bureau of Statistics and National Bureau of Statistics Yunnan Survey Corps, “Statistical bulletin on national economic and social development of Yunnan Province in 2024,” Yunnan Daily, Apr. 8, 2025, p. 006, doi: 10.38259/n.cnki.nynrb.2025.005595.
Yuanyun Technology, “Creative AR interactive experience in Kunming Anning Haiwan Village camp scenic area,” Kunming: Yuanyun Technology, 2025.
H. Zheng, “Xiaohongshu and Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism reach strategic cooperation to launch ‘Rural Roaming’ public welfare support plan,” Yunnan Daily, Aug. 13, 2024, p. 06.
H. Shi and X. Xu, “‘15th Five-Year Plan’: Research on optimization of digital and intelligent technology empowering rural cultural construction,” Journal of Beijing Jiaotong University (Social Sciences Edition), vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 31-39, 2026.
F. Du and S. Shuang, “Research on current status and countermeasures of geographical indication protection for authentic medicinal materials in Yunnan Province,” Journal of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine (Social Sciences Edition), vol. 25, no. 2, pp. 104-111, 2024.
Y. Ma, “Making full use of Yao bath intangible cultural heritage resources to promote high-quality development of Congjiang health industry,” Journal of Kaili University, vol. 43, no. 4, pp. 78-84, 2025.
Y. Huang, “Innovative development of ethnic medicine industry in the digital intelligence era: Realistic dilemmas, internal logic and realization paths,” Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Materia Medica—World Science and Technology, vol. 26, no. 7, pp. 1735-1741, 2024.
Wenshan Prefecture People's Government, “Reply to Proposal No. 13040262 of the Fourth Session of the 13th Wenshan Prefecture CPPCC,” [EB/OL], May 6, 2025.
“14 departments issue guiding opinions on promoting healthy and orderly development of camping tourism and leisure,” Building Technology Development, vol. 49, no. 23, p. 173, 2022.
M. Lou and W. Su, “Exploration of community residents' participation in rural tourism development from the perspective of rural revitalization,” Guangdong Sericulture, vol. 57, no. 1, pp. 151-153, 2023.