The Approaching Shaochong’s Futures workshop took place in February 2014 at Yunnan University in Kunming, China. The workshop was initiated by the School of Urban Construction and Managment (http://www.sucm.ynu.edu.cn/, website in Chinese) and organized and moderated by Spacedigger.
The workshop tested strategic planning approaches in the small town of Shaochong in the mountainous region of Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, China. The township is home to the Nisu Huayao, one of China’s 56 official ethnic minorities and a subgroup of the larger Yi. Living standards and annual income in Shaochong are below the national average and infrastructural deficits from roads to water and electricity supply are pressing. On the other hand does the region feature remarkable natural and cultural landscapes.
Touristic development is regarded as a potential part of future development in Yunnan. In October 2013, the county level government in Shiping and the Chamber of Commerce in Pu’er had signed the investment plans for the “Nisu Huayao Cultural National Park” to promote tourism in the region, with a ‘touristic cottage’ planned in Shaochong.
The 18 students from different departments of Kunming University targeted a number of controversial questions to find a balance between developmental drivers and preservation efforts.
Find out more about the APPROACHING SHAOCHONG’S FUTURES workshop here.