Industry experts believe that science fiction can play a significant role in rural revitalization and cultural tourism in China, while rural elements can also inspire Chinese sci-fi.

Sci-fi insiders and local representatives pose for a photo during a field trip to Mangshan Mountain in Hunan province, January 2024. [Photo courtesy of Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute]

"Assisting cultural tourism and rural revitalization through science fiction is a new area that we need to explore, research and practice together," said Chinese sci-fi luminary Wang Jinkang. "We hope that through the power of sci-fi, we can better understand the future, imbue rural development with more imagination, make our villages more attractive and make our lives more interesting."

Wang suggested incorporating sci-fi elements into attractions such as theme parks or rural science museums to provide insight into the appeal of technology. Furthermore, he proposed that sci-fi writers could create works reflecting life in the countryside to promote rural culture, and bridge the gap between rural and sci-fi cultures.

Nie Xinpeng, deputy director of the rural construction promotion department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, also has high expectations. He believes that the innovative thinking and forward-looking technological perspective of sci-fi provide a new development strategy and offer numerous possibilities for rural revitalization. Moreover, sci-fi culture can also serve as an innovative vehicle for rural cultural tourism resources, helping rural areas to establish a unique local cultural identity and attract more tourists.

"We must be clear that rural revitalization is not only an issue of economic development, but also a process of cultural revival," he said. "Therefore, the concept of 'technology-based, science fiction-assisted cultural tourism' will be strongly advocated in our implementation of the rural revitalization strategy."

(Left to right) Writers Chao Xia, Wang Jinkang and Liu Cixin share insights into how they created a sci-fi picture book based on Mangshan Mountain during the China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC) in Beijing, April 29, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute]

A recent standout example is Mangshan Mountain in Yizhang county of Chenzhou city, Hunan province. Earlier this year, Chinese sci-fi heavyweights, including Liu Cixin and Wang Jinkang, embarked on a tour to this scenic destination in search of inspiration and to explore possibilities. Liu was even surprised to find an astonishing elevator structure installed in the high mountain, resembling the space elevator he imagined in his novella "The Wandering Earth."

"We saw the unique landscape, natural scenery and marvelous mountain shapes, while tasting local specialties and cuisine, and learning about the mountain's past and present. Then, we developed endless imaginings about Mangshan's future," Chao Xia, a renowned sci-fi writer also on the tour in January, told China.org.cn.

One notable outcome of the field trip was a creative sci-fi picture storybook based on Mangshan Mountain, which was launched during a forum at the China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC) in late April.

At the event, the Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute, the forum organizer and a significant sci-fi organization, signed various strategic cooperation agreements with several companies and organizations to enhance in-depth exchanges between the sci-fi sector and the government, cultural tourism industry and theme-park development and construction industry.

Xu Rong, deputy director of Hunan Broadcasting System, also pledged at the forum to leverage their resources and creativity by hosting various events, such as cultural and art festivals. She aims to explore and harness the potential of integrating sci-fi elements with rural development.

Participants of a forum on integrating sci-fi with cultural tourism and rural revitalization pose for a group photo during the China Science Fiction Convention (CSFC) in Beijing, April 29, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Beijing Yuanyu Science Fiction and Future Technology Research Institute]

Shi Zhanjun, editor-in-chief of People's Literature Magazine and secretary of the Secretariat of the China Writers Association, emphasized how science fiction's rich imagination is utilized in the innovative design of cultural tourism, while noting that the promotion and application of sci-fi elements in rural areas can lead to innovative methods in governance, cultural development and environmental protection, promoting new breakthroughs in rural revitalization.

"I hope that science fiction will continue to play its unique role in Chinese culture, the cultural tourism industry and rural revitalization, sparking more innovative ideas and empowering our future," he said. 

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