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

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The topic of preserving the value of rural areas is relevant to the global academic agenda. Increasingly, with the impact of urbanization, villages and rural communities need to preserve and protect their unique potential. Finding new tools for this is an important practical task. At the same time, the diversity and uniqueness of rural areas does not allow for uniform approaches to both research and management in order to ensure sustainable development. In this respect, the case study methodology chosen by the authors is adequate for determining the specifics of the object under study, and the results obtained will be of interest to specialists dealing with rural development.

However, the article has a number of problematic points that need to be addressed before publication.

Firstly, the authors need to form a stronger scientific basis for their research. Currently, there are only 13 references and only Chinese authors in the article. I would advise the authors to broaden the fundamental framework of the study by increasing the geography of the works analyzed. This would put the idea of Spatial Cultural Genes into a broader conceptual context and enrich it. Including showing more clearly the connection between cultural revitalization of villages and their sustainable development.

It will also be valuable if the authors take into account the peculiarities of the location of the village when implementing the strategy of its cultural revival. Location and transport accessibility is an important factor in the development of rural areas, especially as tourist attractions. For example, I would advise you to pay attention to the work: Mikhaylova, A. A., Wendt, J. A., Hvaley, D. V., Bógdał-Brzezińska, A., & Mikhaylov, A. S. (2022). Impact of cross-border tourism on the sustainable development of rural areas in the Russian–Polish and Russian–Kazakh borderlands. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(4) doi:10.3390/su14042409 OR   Nizam, D., & Tatari, M.F. (2022). Rural revitalization through territorial distinctiveness: The use of geographical indications in Turkey. Journal of Rural Studies. 93, 144-154 doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.07.002

Secondly, it would be good if the authors in the discussion section would also provide a critical perspective on the findings and discuss them with reference to earlier research. In its current form, this is more appropriate for the recommendations section. 

Third, the top map in Figure 1 is poorly readable. The font is too small.

Author Response

Point 1: Firstly, the authors need to form a stronger scientific basis for their research. Currently, there are only 13 references and only Chinese authors in the article. I would advise the authors to broaden the fundamental framework of the study by increasing the geography of the works analyzed. This would put the idea of Spatial Cultural Genes into a broader conceptual context and enrich it. Including showing more clearly the connection between cultural revitalization of villages and their sustainable development.

It will also be valuable if the authors take into account the peculiarities of the location of the village when implementing the strategy of its cultural revival. Location and transport accessibility is an important factor in the development of rural areas, especially as tourist attractions. For example, I would advise you to pay attention to the work: Mikhaylova, A. A., Wendt, J. A., Hvaley, D. V., Bógdał-Brzezińska, A., & Mikhaylov, A. S. (2022). Impact of cross-border tourism on the sustainable development of rural areas in the Russian–Polish and Russian–Kazakh borderlands. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(4) doi:10.3390/su14042409 OR   Nizam, D., & Tatari, M.F. (2022). Rural revitalization through territorial distinctiveness: The use of geographical indications in Turkey. Journal of Rural Studies. 93, 144-154 doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.07.002

Response 1:

• I have read the relevant research on the protection and development of ancient villages and rural tourism development abroad, and extracted relevant views. A total of 8 references have been added to the paper. To broaden the fundamental framework of the study by increasing the geography of the works analyzed，See the article for details.

（2）A separate paragraph has been added to the discussion section, which is “Analysis of the Relationship between the Cultural Gene of Tujia Village in Feng Xiang Xi and the Rural Revitalization and Sustainable Development”.Including showing more clearly the connection between cultural revitalization of villages and their sustainable development.

（3）Location and transport accessibility is an important factor in the development of Ethnic Villages , especially as tourist attractions.In the discussion section of the study agreed with other scholar's research conclusion. 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, and promote the development of regional tourism, and simultaneously, improve the supporting service facilities.

（4）I have studied and quoted these two papers:Mikhaylova, A. A., Wendt, J. A., Hvaley, D. V., Bógdał-Brzezińska, A., & Mikhaylov, A. S. (2022). Impact of cross-border tourism on the sustainable development of rural areas in the Russian–Polish and Russian–Kazakh borderlands. Sustainability (Switzerland), 14(4) doi:10.3390/su14042409 OR   Nizam, D., & Tatari, M.F. (2022). Rural revitalization through territorial distinctiveness: The use of geographical indications in Turkey. Journal of Rural Studies. 93, 144-154 doi: 10.1016/j.jrurstud.2020.07.002

 

Point 2: Secondly, it would be good if the authors in the discussion section would also provide a critical perspective on the findings and discuss them with reference to earlier research. In its current form, this is more appropriate for the recommendations section

Response 2:

I have quoted some scholars’ views on cultural genes, cultural revitalization, rural revitalization, and sustainable development, and discussed the impact of location and transportation on rural tourism development in combination with the current characteristics to increase the depth of the discussion.

Point 3: Third, the top map in Figure 1 is poorly readable. The font is too small.

Response 3: It has been modified

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments to the authors:

 

1. Improve the style and mistakes made when translating the document into English. The support of a person who is fluent in the language at a native level is suggested.

2. Make a clear distinction between cultural revitalization and rural revitalization

3. Reconstruct the table in figure (2) without dividing the phrases “visible” and “invisible”. Center all the texts.

4. In relation to figure (2), make a clear distinction highlighting the results provided by each method. Do the same in Figure 3. As it stands, all nine methods are interpreted as giving six results. Is this correct?

5. The income of 5000 yuan, is it per capita?

6. Rebuild table (1) avoiding hyphenation. Where do the material identifiers end? Where do non-materials begin? Do the same with table (2).

7. Delete the word “Discuss” on line 245.

8. Define the concept of “macro-meso-micro scale”.

9. Are there concrete results that have been implemented in this project derived from your proposal? If favorable, highlight the achievements and their impact.

 

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 2 Comments

 

Point 1: Improve the style and mistakes made when translating the document into English. The support of a person who is fluent in the language at a native level is suggested.

Response 1: I already modified.

Point 2: Make a clear distinction between cultural revitalization and rural revitalization

Response 2: A separate paragraph has been added to the discussion section, which is “Analysis of the Relationship between the Cultural Gene of Tujia Village in Feng Xiang Xi and the Rural Revitalization and Sustainable Development”.Including showing more clearly the connection between cultural revitalization of villages and their sustainable development.

Point 3:Reconstruct the table in figure (2) without dividing the phrases “visible” and “invisible”. Center all the texts.

Response 3:I already modified.

Point 4： In relation to figure (2), make a clear distinction highlighting the results provided by each method. Do the same in Figure 3. As it stands, all nine methods are interpreted as giving six results. Is this correct?

Response 4:These two methods are used at the same time. The application of cultural gene identification method is based on the analysis of the current situation data collected through field work. The results obtained in Figure 2 and Figure 3 are the results of cultural gene recognition. 

It has been modified and the background, motivation, methods, results and conclusions have been sorted out again.

Point 5：The income of 5000 yuan, is it per capita?

Response 5:yes

Point 6：Rebuild table (1) avoiding hyphenation. Where do the material identifiers end? Where do non-materials begin? Do the same with table (2).

Response 6:I already modified.

Point 7：Delete the word “Discuss” on line 245.

Response 7:I already modified.

Point 8：Define the concept of “macro-meso-micro scale”.

Response 8:It has been modified,See the article for details.

Point 9：Are there concrete results that have been implemented in this project derived from your proposal? If favorable, highlight the achievements and their impact.

Response 9: There are concrete results that have been implemented in this project derived from my proposal,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, making effective achievements for rural tourism development and landscape protection.

 

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Dear Author/s,

 

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read your paper. The paper “Research on the Revitalization Path of Ethnic Villages Based on the Inheritance of Spatial Cultural3 Genes–Take Tujia Village of Feng Xiang Xi in Guizhou Province as a Case Study” is interesting for journal readers. But following changes should be done before the consideration to improve the quality of the paper:

 

Abstract: I suggest authors to rewrite the abstract to make it more constructive. Abstract should have at least one sentence per each: context and background, motivation, hypothesis, methods, results, conclusions.

 

Introduction & Literature: The introduction can be written more atractive (very well); need improvements to cite more latest literature, also give the touch of more tourism  development globally then country and finally regional level. Further, in the last paragraph need to clearly mention that what’s novel in this study and how it is going to contribute in the existing literature. Here are some studies to cite in the introduction as well as in the literature part to get benefit:

Results: The explanation of tables’ findings is week need to explain more by comparing the findings with previous published studies.

Discussion: Discussion is short in the text, expand it more. And compare with similar case and papers…

Conclusion: It should be Conclusion and policy recommendations by suggesting some powerful policies and strategies. 

Need clear future recommendation/implementation in the context of uncertainty. Please visit https://doi.org/10.1177/1354816619888346

Author Response

Response to Reviewer 3 Comments

 

Point 1: I suggest authors to rewrite the abstract to make it more constructive. Abstract should have at least one sentence per each: context and background, motivation, hypothesis, methods, results, conclusions.

Response 1: I already modified.

The development of rural ethnic cultural resources is conducive to protecting the cultural characteristics of those 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 at the characteristics and the 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 Tujia ethnic, 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 and rural revitalization and sustainable development,and then puts forward  new path for the rural revitalization, especially in virtue of the inheritance of the spatial cultural genes of Tujia village. Specifically, the “protection of the cultural genes of Tujia ethnic” is determined as the principal policy for the rural development; The rural spatial structure is reconstructed based on the study tour of Tujia village; 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 the rural revitalization with distinctive ethnic culture.

Point 2: Introduction & Literature: The introduction can be written more atractive (very well); need improvements to cite more latest literature, also give the touch of more tourism  development globally then country and finally regional level. Further, in the last paragraph need to clearly mention that what’s novel in this study and how it is going to contribute in the existing literature. Here are some studies to cite in the introduction as well as in the literature part to get benefit:

Response 2:

 I have read the relevant research on the protection and development of ancient villages and rural tourism development abroad, and extracted relevant views. A total of 8 references have been added to the paper. See the article for details.

At present few studies focusing on the combination of “ethnic culture” and rural revitalization can be found. The research on the carrier of material space and the spatial construction of “ethnic culture” is more less.  Therefore, to probe the path of rural rev-italization 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 the utilization of ethnic cultural genes, which is of great significance to the implementation, theoretical and practical exploration of sustainable development of rural areas.

Point 3: Results: The explanation of tables’ findings is week need to explain more by comparing the findings with previous published studies.

Discussion: Discussion is short in the text, expand it more. And compare with similar case and papers…

Conclusion: It should be Conclusion and policy recommendations by suggesting some powerful policies and strategies. Need clear future recommendation/implementation in the context of uncertainty.

Response 3:

 The research results are expressed the optimization, increased the depth of the discussion.I have quoted some scholars’ views on cultural genes, cultural revitalization, rural revitalization, and sustainable development, and discussed the impact of location and transportation on rural tourism development in combination with the current characteristics to increase the depth of the discussion.In the conclusion part, policy suggestions are added to make requirements for future implementation plans. See the article for details.

 

 

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

Accept