60% of tourists think China's culture streets monotonous: survey

The popular alley Nan Luo Gu Xiang in Beijing. [File photo/Chinanews.com]

Despite 78.5 percent of Chinese tourists regarding local culture streets as a must-see attraction, 62 percent complain streets across the country appear too similar, a latest online survey shows.

China Youth Daily has conducted an online survey, attracting 2001 respondents, and more than 58 percent of them think China's culture streets are too commercialized.

Some 72.2 percent want to experience local customs when visiting a culture street, 62.7 percent want to sample unique food, and 54.1 percent want to buy local handicrafts.

Nearly 60 percent of respondents praise culture streets for providing convenient and diversified boarding, accommodation and travel options, though 34.9 percent say their experience with culture streets is pretty mediocre.

Apart from commercialization, other problems tourists are most concerned about include large crowds, shoddy and counterfeit products, overcharging, poor hygiene, too many beggars and thieves.

The survey also finds that nearly 90 percent think protection of historical and cultural street blocks should be prioritized, 52.9 percent think a balance between protection and development is needed, and 8.1 percent think the priority should be development.

For Zeng Zhiyi, a member of the Chinese Commission for the International Council on Monuments and Sites, the most severe damage done to historical and cultural street blocks was the relocation of their original inhabitants.

Many renovation projects have unfortunately turned such street blocks into commercial display platforms, Zeng says.

Tourism development that ignores natural law can hardly bring anticipated commercial returns, Zeng continues.

Zheng Zhizhong, a university student majoring in economics, says efforts should be made to protect the authenticity and integrity of historical and cultural street blocks, carry on their traditions and improve infrastructure.