Research on the Revitalization Path of Ethnic Villages Based on the Inheritance of Spatial Cultural Genes—Taking Tujia Village of Feng Xiang Xi in Guizhou Province as a Case Study

Abstract

The development of rural ethnic culture resources is conducive to protecting the cultural characteristics of traditional ethnic villages and achieving the great goal of the industrialized utilization of rural cultural heritage resources as well. Oriented by the goal of rural revitalization, this article targets the characteristics and problems of the development of the Tujia village of Feng Xiang Xi in Guizhou Province. Employing the methods of field investigation and cultural gene identification, this paper analyzes the cultural genes of the Tujia ethnic identity and summarizes the characteristics of its spatial representation. It is essential for us to summarize the current difficulties of rural protection and development and clarify the relationship between cultural revitalization, rural revitalization, and sustainable development, which then puts forward a new path for rural revitalization, especially by virtue of the inheritance of the spatial cultural genes of the Tujia village. Specifically, the “protection of the cultural genes of the Tujia ethnic identity” is determined as the principal policy for rural development, the rural spatial structure is reconstructed based on the study tour of the Tujia village, and the public cultural space is reconstructed based on the inheritance and utilization of the cultural genes of Tujia. In the meantime, attention should be paid to orderly construction, and priority should be given to the construction of transportation and service facilities. Finally, it is expected that the research can provide an implementation path for rural revitalization with distinctive ethnic cultures.

1. Introduction

An ethnic village is a community formed by ethnic minorities in the process of their development and evolution, in which they have a relatively fixed regional scope, stable population, and common cultural concepts. Furthermore, they are highly self-enclosed, backward in economic and social development, and have obvious regional and cultural characteristics [1]. The Twentieth National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) emphasized that it is essential to implement the strategy of rural revitalization by giving priority to the development of rural agriculture and firmly promoting the revitalization of rural industries, talents, culture, ecology, and organizations, among which “cultural revitalization” is the key of rural revitalization [2]. It is of great necessity for ethnic minority areas to look for a suitable path for local development in order to revitalize ethnic villages in combination with their own cultural resources [3]. As already highlighted by UNESCO, the characteristic culture of ethnic areas is conducive to attracting international and domestic tourists and increasing the sustainable development of their villages [4]. Since the 1980s, taking villages as a platform, transforming national cultural resources into tourism capital and developing tourism in characteristic cultural villages have been turned into a principal model for the development of ethnic villages in the western region of China as well as a main solution for those ethnic villages to get rid of poverty [5]. However, the capital injection and the side effect of the tourism economy have inevitably damaged the ethnic cultural resources [6]. Excessive commercialization has caused the loss of the characteristics of some ethnic villages, and worse, the economy has begun to reverse in development. Although the current research mainly involves “poverty alleviation through tourism in ethnic villages” and “the development and protection of intangible cultural heritage in characteristic villages”, few studies focusing on the combination of “ethnic culture” and rural revitalization can be found. The discussion of “ethnic culture” by other scholars mainly attaches great importance to the theoretical research of its concept [7], content [8], significance [9], and inheritance [10] from the perspective of social science and the value by virtue of cultural tourism, popular science education, etc. [11]. There is less research on the carrier of material space and the spatial construction of “ethnic culture”. The cultural gene is the basic unit of cultural transmission or imitation, and the academic consensus is that it is a basic unit of storing specific genetic information in the collective memory of a nation or ethnic group with the characteristics of uniqueness, externality, and variability. The spatial cultural gene refers to unique and relatively stable spatial combinations of patterns formed in the interaction between urban and rural space, the natural environment and cultural space, history, and culture [12]. The spatial cultural gene is the result of the cultural gene acting on space and the product of the cultural gene polymerizing in space [13]. The spatial cultural gene in ethnic areas is the spatial expression of the spiritual core of the ethnic minority culture that is worthy of being inherited and utilized from one generation to another. Therefore, to probe the path of rural revitalization in ethnic minority areas based on the genetic inheritance of spatial ethnic culture is not only to seek innovative methods to solve the problems of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers but also to provide fresh ideas and strategies for the protection and utilization of ethnic culture genes, which is of great significance to the implementation and theoretical and practical exploration of the sustainable development of rural areas.

2. Research Subject and Methodology

2.1. Overview of the Tujia Village of Feng Xiang Xi in Guizhou Province

Located in Dejiang County, Guizhou Province, the village of Feng Xiang Xi, populated densely by ethnic minorities and listed as the second batch of traditional Chinese villages (Figure 1), is situated in a subtropical monsoon humid temperate zone with an average temperature of 24.3 °C in summer (June to August), which belongs to the summer tourism climate zone. This village also has a rich cultural heritage and a healthy ecological system. The location and layout of the village retain the traditional style of Tujia ethnicity, the lanes of the village reflect the characteristics of ethnic settlements, and regular ethnic activities also show the characteristics of ethnic culture. The settlement is surrounded by mountains with a good natural environment and a fine ecological system, which implies great potential for developing the local resources.

2.2. Research Method

2.2.1. Field Work

The method of long-term resident participation advocated by field investigation is conducive to the in-depth interpretation and design of the site, which is a prerequisite for planning and design. After clarifying the content of ethnic cultural genes through interviews, visits, investigations, and records of the images of material and non-material elements related to ethnic cultural genes, the survey will summarize the relevant content and the characteristics of the spatial carrier of ethnic cultural genes in the village and provide comprehensive and detailed data for the extraction of the ethnic cultural gene.

2.2.2. The Method of Cultural Gene Identification

The recognition system, based on objective and static clues such as the expressive form, the existence form, and the genetic carrier of cultural genes, can be divided into visible and invisible, material and non-material. The representation of ethnic culture is formed by the interaction between the ethnic cultural genes of various micro-scales and regional space. As the core and basic unit of ethnic culture, the identification of the ethnic cultural gene should fully respect the principles of its representation in a place, individual traits, and the uniqueness of the gene and identify the ethnic culture gene from the aspects of structure, form, meaning, element, and behavior. The mechanism of identification divides the village of Feng Xiang Xi into visible and invisible genes, deeply analyzes the traits of the ethnic culture gene, and then interprets the social behavior and connotations of the spatial form displayed by carriers of the ethnic cultural gene, such as the place, buildings, and decorative costumes. It determines the forms of expression of ethnic cultural genes in different social behaviors and spatial forms and employs overall morphological analysis, element extraction, function extraction, meaning extraction, and behavior extraction to identify ethnic cultural genes from all visible and invisible carriers (Figure 2).

3. Results

3.1. Current Situation and Characteristics of Development in the Tujia Village of Feng Xiang Xi in Guizhou Province

3.1.1. Obstacles of Construction Caused by Special Location and Landscape

The Tujia village of Feng Xiang Xi is located in a mountainous area with a long history and poor economic situation at the border of China. Located in the southeast of Dejiang County, Guizhou Province, with a typical karst landscape, Feng Xiang Xi is one of the main battlefields for poverty alleviation in China. The distinct karst landscape skyrockets the cost of its construction due to inconvenient transportation and a lack of basic facilities. At present, the traffic conditions of Feng Xiang Xi are inconvenient for passers-by. The road crosses the village with a width of around 7.5 m, and thus, the passing vehicles have a negative impact on the safety of the villagers. The remote location and karst landscape hinder the development of the local commercial industry. At present, the primary industry is rice planting, with low economic income, and the annual per capita income is only 5000 yuan. Although the local government plans to develop secondary and tertiary industries, there are many remaining historical problems caused by insufficient construction, poor management, and ineffective measures. In addition, the activities of the village fail to fully reflect its cultural and regional characteristics, and the development of tourism is extremely slow. Due to limited rural technology and a lack of introduction of secondary industry, the combination of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries has not been formed, and thus, it is difficult to boost its economy. Due to the lag of industrial development and the impact of urbanization, a large number of people have swarmed to cities to earn a living. The main population in the village is elderly people and children. The worst is that the brain drain has plunged rural development into a hopeless and vicious circle of slow industrial development.

3.1.2. Opportunities of Development under the Guidance of a Market-Oriented Economy and Policy

According to reliable information from the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Tourism Administration of the PRC, leisure tourism has become a new business form. In the coming period, it is expected that the per capita annual leisure tourism of residents will grow by 5-fold, the scale of the national leisure tourism market will exceed 8 billion people, and leisure agriculture and rural tourism will witness a golden chance of development. At present, the scenic spot represented by Qianhu Miao Village in Guizhou Province occupies a fundamental position in terms of national tourism in the classic tourism route of ethnic minority cultures. As The Implementation Plan for the Development of Red Tourism in Guizhou Province is enacted, Guizhou will strive to become an important destination for red tourism in China through the construction of routes of red tourism. As one of the important stations on the route of the Red Army in Guizhou, Feng Xiang Xi has unlimited potential to develop red tourism. The strategy of rural revitalization proposed at the 19th National Congress was followed by the “No. 1 Document”, which reflects China’s great determination to tackle the issues of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. For those areas with rich cultural heritage, cultural revitalization is the core of rural revitalization [13]. Against the backdrop of the calling of the State Council to strengthen the protection of cultural heritage, Dejiang County People’s government has taken relevant measures to strengthen the awareness of the protection of historical and cultural heritage. It is evident that the local government intends to establish a mechanism for the protection and utilization of ethnic cultural relics, which also provides an opportunity for the development of the village.

3.1.3. Fusion of Multi-Genes and Advantages of Development of Spatial Culture

Feng Xiang Xi has the remarkable features of a karst landscape and a spatial natural gene. It has a healthy ecological system of undulating hills and dense trees surrounded by streams and ponds. The village is located behind the mountain, facing the water and fields. The spatial layout of “stream–field–forest–mountain” has been gradually formed by their natural landscape. The buildings are made of local materials, such as stone and wood. The green tiles echo the traits of the landscape, which reflect the characteristics of the spatial gene in the layout of Tujia settlements. As a minority, the culture of Tujia festival activities, such as Nuo Tang opera and waving songs, has been preserved and improved, and the characteristics of Tujia costumes and food have been retained with their apparent cultural characteristics.

3.1.4. The Insufficient Visual Impact of Landscape and the Barrier to Activating and Employing Genes

Although Feng Xiang Xi has the rich genetic remains of Tujia ethnic culture, some primitive and distinct relics have been ruined by urbanization, and their distribution is not in a compact area. At present, the visual impact and attractiveness of the Tujia ethnic culture cannot overcome the inconvenience caused by its remote location. Therefore, the development of tertiary industry is unsatisfactory. The inheritance, activation, and utilization of ethnic cultural genes require the departments concerned to have a firm determination and long-term vision. Feng Xiang Xi is located in an underdeveloped area with poor construction and difficulties in economic development. At present, the local government is focused on the construction of industrial development, infrastructure, and basic public service facilities but neglects the construction of soft culture. The county government of Feng Xiang Xi still highlights the basic task of protecting, repairing, and displaying cultural relics and facilities without apparent effect and a wide range of innovative methods.

3.2. Gene Identification and Characteristics of Spatial Culture in Tujia Village of Feng Xiang Xi in Guizhou Province

In different periods, the carriers of Tujia ethnic cultural genes in different regions have had different forms of expression, including not only the site of influential historical events but also the location of inheritance of contemporary Tujia ethnic culture. The carrier of the Tujia cultural gene is rich in content and diverse in forms, including the material form (with material carriers as its carrier) and the spiritual form (with non-material carriers as its carrier). The analysis of its cultural gene characteristics can be summarized from the aspects of quantity, meaning, function, form, landscape, and behavior [14]. It is necessary to comb through the history and resources of Feng Xiang Xi at present, define the Tujia cultural gene, find its carrier of output, summarize the mode of output of the ethnic cultural gene, and analyze the way of representation of the spatial ethnic cultural gene in order to establish the foundation for further research on the inheritance and utilization of the spatial ethnic cultural gene (Figure 3).

3.2.1. Identification of Tujia Ethnic Cultural Genes

The gene of ethnic culture acts on Feng Xiang Xi by affecting the cultural attribute and quality of the whole village. The output of ethnic culture hinges on the influence of the material environment and non-material activities in the village. Among them, the main attachment carrier of material cultural genes is the buildings left by the Tujia people in their production and life, including the ethnic playground dam, traditional dwellings, public buildings, transportation facilities, production and living appliances, written symbols, etc. The carrier of non-material cultural gene attachment is the Tujia people themselves and their spiritual beliefs, represented by the activities in Feng Xiang Xi. The Tujia people in Feng Xiang Xi not only perform traditional activities such as the clapping dance during their traditional festivals but also the Nuo Opera culture, which is listed as a national non-material cultural heritage, one of the characteristics of Feng Xiang Xi. The Tujia people wear masks to perform religious sacrificial dramas to drive away evil spirits and bring good luck, which is an activity imbued with national consciousness and artistic characteristics. The specific Tujia cultural genes are shown in the table below (

Table 1. Identification of the ethnic cultural gene.

Material						Non-Material
Place	Building	Transport	Costume	Articles	Written Symbols	Spirit	Behavior
Outdoor playground dam for ethnic festivals and customs	Traditional dwellings; ancestral temple; fort ridge	Slate roads; settlement; streets; bridge; ridge	Ethnic clothing; accessories	Dyeing and weaving knitting; embroidery; carving; painting; paper cutting; stone mills; grain boxes	Tujia ethnic character	Respecting nature; emphasizing diligence and unity; respecting the old and caring for the young	Sacrifice; pray; celebrate; entertain

).

3.2.2. Characteristics of the Spatial Representation of Tujia Cultural Genes

In the long history of Tujia Village in Feng Xiang Xi, ethnic cultural characteristics have been formed from totems, ancestral temples, and a residential architectural style to language, clothing, marriage customs, literature, and art. The Tujia culture is attached and symbiotic to the village. The genetic resources of Tujia culture are relatively rich in terms of quantity and type. The overall integrity is in fair condition, and most of the architectural relics are well-preserved. As for the use of spatial functions, the existing space not only meets the production and living demands of the Tujia people but also integrates the functions required by tourism development. In the sense of space, the Tujia people show their reverence for nature, their observance of clan order, and their echo of unity and diligence. In the spatial pattern of the village, it conforms to the construction concept of the Tujia people’s unity of nature and man and respect for nature, solidarity, and mutual assistance. The landscape features of the village also show the simplicity of the village and the characteristics of Tujia culture. Through the implantation of the gene of Tujia culture into Feng Xiang Xi, its functional attributes and crowd behavior echo it (

Table 2. Characteristics of the spatial representation of Tujia cultural genes.

Quantity	Function	Meaning	Form	Landscape	Behavior
Numerous well-preserved material remains; weak continuity of non-material remains; weak sense of identification with Tujia ethnic culture	Multi-functional activities ensuring Tujia people’s production and living and display of Tujia culture	Reverence for nature; the spirit of self-improvement and solidarity; the clan contract of respecting the old and cherishing the young	Heavily affected by regional characteristics and living habits; the coexistence between buildings and the natural environment; numerous public buildings and activity nodes; balanced distribution	Simple landscape; obvious traditional architecture and distinct Tujia village	Sacrifice; pray; celebrate; entertain

).

4. Discussion

4.1. Analysis of the Relationship between the Cultural Gene of Tujia Village in Feng Xiang Xi and Rural Revitalization and Sustainable Development

The rural revitalization strategy proposed by the 19th National Congress includes five parts: industrial revitalization, cultural revitalization, ecological revitalization, talent revitalization, and organizational revitalization, which are important means to deal with the rural recession. Overseas countries have already carried out relevant rural revitalization activities and have generally attached great importance to rural social and cultural construction [15]. The practical experience of rural areas in developed countries shows that the revitalization of rural culture is the soul of rural revitalization. In other words, rural revitalization is not a simple economic issue; instead, it should go beyond the scope of industrial development and the economy and pay more heed to cultural trend dimensions such as the nature of the rural area, rural cultural inheritance, rural daily life, and order reconstruction [16]. In order to achieve sustainable rural development in the context of building a well-off society in an all-round way in China, it is imperative to focus on cultural revitalization, develop rural industries, retain rural construction talents, promote rural organization and ecological development, and reshape rural self-confidence [17] (Figure 4). Therefore, the cultural gene is an important resource available in rural revitalization, one of the fundamental foundations for rural revitalization, and a significant means to ensure the sustainable development of rural areas.

4.2. Analysis of the Path of Rural Revitalization and the Inheritance of the Spatial Cultural Genes of Tujia Village of Feng Xiang Xi in Guizhou Province

4.2.1. Setting the Protection of Tujia Cultural Genes as the Main Goal of Rural Development

Although the number of red cultural genes in Feng Xiang Xi is not large in spatial distribution, it has distinct themes and complete logic and is suitable for the development of cultural experiential tourism. However, according to the genetic characteristics of cultural genes, cultural gene replication is the behavioral basis of gene transmission. The stable replication of genes requires the authenticity and integrity of the cultural gene itself. Therefore, it is of significance to cultivate the cultural gene and genetic environment in the process of gene replication. For the Tujia ethnic identity, this cultivation behavior is specifically manifested in the spatial protection and restoration of the settlement culture and its built environment, the true record and inheritance of the basis of belief, the stable continuation and inter-generational transmission of social culture, and the organizational learning and mass education of skill culture. In tourism planning, therefore, it is fundamental to take the construction of distinct space as the main line, the immersion experience as the means, the peculiar culture as the core, and protection and inheritance as the goal. The development of Feng Xiang Xi as a village of ethnic culture tourism is based on natural ecology and dominated by the inheritance of Tujia ethnic cultural genes, integrating the functions of ethnic culture education, national customs, the experience of landscapes, and rural leisure tourism.

4.2.2. Reconstruction of Rural Space Based on a Tour Study of Tujia Culture

In the reconstruction of rural space, the Tujia cultural gene is the core, and its characteristics are important materials for the integration of current resources. The space is optimized according to the macro–meso–micro scale; that is, the scope of the village’s administrative jurisdiction, the scope of the villagers’ living settlement, and the scope of important activity nodes within the settlement area should be optimized.

By virtue of the scope of the village, it is of great importance to ensure that the overall situation of rural ecology is not damaged and the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries are reasonably distributed. Combined with the needs of development and positioning, the needs of the land are classified according to production areas, ecological areas, and living service areas (cultural experience areas). It is essential to sort out the ecological conservation areas, agricultural product planting areas, and villagers’ living areas, the agricultural planting areas through the intensive development of large-scale agricultural production, and cultural experience areas based on the original space of the Tujia cultural gene in villagers’ living areas so as to protect the original ecological space of the village and form an ecological area for conservation. In addition, it is also crucial to take the original county road as the development axis and run through the whole Tujia cultural experience area to form a spatial planning structure of “one axis and three areas” (Figure 5).

The functional layout of the scope of areas for the main activity of the inhabitants is the core function of the displaying area, and the spatial function needs to be refined under the functional structure of the village. The development of Feng Xiang Xi as an agricultural tourism site, integrating education and learning based on agriculture, is guided by tourism, characterized by multiculturalism, and focused on the genes of the Tujia culture. Taking the main traffic county roads as the routes of activity, the main routes of the study tour include: the mass education of ethnic culture, tasting Tujia food, visiting the architecture of the Tujia village, singing Tujia songs and watching Tujia dramas, and experiencing the feeling of patriotism. Therefore, the spatial functions within the region are the theme area of the Tujia culture study, the theme area of Tujia food, the theme area of the Tujia custom exhibition, the theme area of Tujia festivals, and the theme area of Tuijia living (Figure 6).

The main nodes for activity are 22 main nodes in the corresponding spatial partition. Several nodes are combined with each other to achieve the function of the spatial partition. The specific contents are shown in the table. The fishbone and landscape axes formed by the road are connected. According to the degree of concentration, the orientation of resources in the future, and the site for development, the contents of the nodes can be carried out in different places. Furthermore, the spatial layout of places is based on the demands of local inhabitants to meet the people’s needs for sensory experiences to spiritually harvest and increase the rationality for and interest in places for activities (Figure 7).

4.2.3. Reconstruction of Public Space Based on the Inheritance and Utilization of the Tujia Cultural Gene

The spatial reconstruction of inheriting the Tujia cultural gene mainly aims to construct the cultural perception of the node for the activity and space of the axis. Feng Xiang Xi consists of six main theme areas (theme area of Tujia culture study, theme area of Tujia food, theme area of the Tujia custom exhibition, theme area of Tujia festivals, theme area of Tujia living) (Figure 8). The carriers of Tujia cultural genes are protected and inherited, and various carriers were excavated, innovated, and activated in order to be implanted in the theme areas. The material carrier of the Tujia cultural gene conveys culture through its material form, while the non-material Tujia cultural gene carries out spiritual output through corresponding activities. Combined with the activity of residents, it endows the space of activity with the corresponding attributes of cultural function so as to achieve the purpose of spatial reconstruction.

4.3. Development Timing

Scholars have pointed out that the accessibility of the location and the convenience of supporting public service facilities are the keys to the development of rural tourism [18]. The weak location and supporting facilities of the rural areas in this study are indeed the development dilemma of rural tourism. It is of great necessity to make use of tourism transportation to quickly connect other tourist attractions in surrounding areas, increase the close connection between the rural areas and other tourism nodes, promote the development of regional tourism, and simultaneously improve the supporting service facilities.

Echoing Guizhou Province’s overall tourism plan and Dejiang’s 14th Five-Year Plan, Feng Xiang Xi has upgraded its external traffic routes and optimized its traffic routes to ensure the rapid development of tourism. Giving priority to the allocation of supporting facilities in the village according to the degree of demand can ensure that the basic needs of villagers and tourists are met. It is important to take the production of the ethnic cultural space as a guide and the tourism industry as the starting point, achieve the activation of tertiary industry, and drive the revitalization of the industry of the village of Feng Xang Xi through cultural revitalization. In the context of the development of tertiary industry, it is of great necessity to take the core settlement space of the village as the business card of primary and secondary industries and strengthen the linkage development of tertiary industry with the primary and secondary industries. Finally, for the overall revitalization of rural customs, the economy, and the environment and the industrial revitalization of the prosperity of villagers and economic development, it is imperative to guarantee the steady development of primary and secondary industries. Alongside industrial development, public service facilities and other material spaces need to be gradually repaired to ensure the livability of spatial functions. Through material harvest, local villagers can enhance the recognition of local culture and will be willing to participate in the construction of local civilizations. A good livable environment will further increase people’s awareness for the protection of the environment and cultures and will finally make effective governance and all-round revitalization possible.

5. Conclusions

The characteristic regional culture contained in the location is the key to displaying rural uniqueness [19]. Cultural revitalization is the soul of rural revitalization in China. Villages with rich ethnic cultural resources can employ their ethnic cultural genes to put forward targeted strategies. Firstly, this strategy is not only conducive to the protection and inheritance of ethnic cultural genes but also contributes to the cultural output of spatial ethnic cultural genes and the realization of the revitalization of ethnic cultures. Secondly, it turns into a cornerstone for ensuring the differentiated development of “one village, one product” [20]. The rural development strategies proposed in this study have been adopted by the local government in the Feng Xiang Xi Traditional Village Protection and Development Plan (2019–2030) and the Feng Xiang Xi Tujia Village Tourism Development Plan (2019–2030) and have been put into practice in the rural construction work of the local government in recent years, creating effective achievements for rural tourism development and landscape protection. Therefore, this paper holds that the revitalization of rural areas with ethnic cultural genes should take the revitalization of ethnic culture as a starting point and pay heed to the spatial ethnic cultural gene to reconstruct the advantages of rural culture; it is also necessary to protect and innovate ethnic cultural genes. The sustainable development of ethnic villages can only be ensured by the three key points of inheriting and exporting ethnic cultural genes, transforming ethnic cultural resources into ethnic cultural industries, and boosting local economic development. In the future, it is important to continue to call on villagers to actively participate in rural construction, strengthen the public participation of villagers in cultural protection and tourism development, optimize the model of tourism development, strengthen the cooperation among villagers, governments, enterprises, and experts, attract large tourism capital investment, and increase the quality of tourism. At the same time, it is necessary to actively promote and build an all-round multi-level tourism publicity network to make contributions to rural brand development.

Three key points of the spatial red cultural gene on inheritance and output are worthy of note.

(1)

Reconstruction of Rural Cultural Advantages by Spatial Ethnic Cultural Genes

In cases of well-developed villages at home and abroad, they have distinct cultural genes and carry out accurate development according to their cultural characteristics so as to form a suitable industrial economy with striking regional characteristics. The local cultural gene achieves its cultural output through the spatial carrier, consolidates people through cultural identity and revitalization, and forms special regional activities. The cultural gene in a particular space is repeatedly replicated and updated by regional activities so as to enhance the speed of the development of the village. In the construction of Feng Xiang Xi, the focus has been on the construction of the soft cultural environment since the material construction is driven by spiritual activities. It is of great significance to take cultural revitalization as a starting point and promote industrial revitalization by cultural production. The ethnic cultural gene can shape a suitable rural spiritual environment, which further attracts the return of local talented people to improve rural construction, promote rural civilization, and ensure ecological revitalization.

(2)

Protection and Innovation of Spatial Ethnic Cultural Genes

The proposition of “competitive advantage and rural development” is a distinct guarantee for the development and revitalization of remote villages. The precipitation of spatial ethnic cultural genes is a dynamic process, which includes not only the fusion of itself but also the process of regeneration and reconstruction after fusion. It is also significant to unearth the connotation of spatial ethnic cultural genes, comb through and protect the carriers of ethnic cultural genes, and fathom all the possible forms of the carriers, updating the mode of spatial expression of ethnic cultural genes and integrating and optimizing the original inferior carrier so as to ensure the inheritance and sustainable evolution of the genes.

(3)

Inheritance and Utilization of Spatial Ethnic Cultural Genes

The inheritance of ethnic cultural genes can be either formal and systematic visible education or subtle and invisible education [21]. Visible education refers to direct instructions, while invisible education is the potential integration of ethnic cultural genes into mundane behaviors. It is necessary to achieve the construction of rural cultural space by echoing the ethnic cultural themes and to resonate the perception of the people according to spatial characteristics by arranging activities combining the path of perception of people’s vision, hearing, and touch in the space with the cultural theme. Furthermore, this strategy needs to inherit the ethnic cultural gene through the sense of place so as to achieve the purpose of cultural output, activate the cultural industry, and form the linkage of rural industries.