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Balancing Safety and Growth: An Ecological Resilience Framework for Great Wall Tourism Towns

Author

Listed:
  • Run Wang

    (College of Humanities and Urban–Rural Development, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Jiahui Lou

    (College of Humanities and Urban–Rural Development, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Shengqin Huang

    (College of Liberal Art and Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China)

  • Jiarui Xiao

    (College of Humanities and Urban–Rural Development, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China)

  • Fei Long

    (College of Humanities and Urban–Rural Development, Beijing University of Agriculture, Beijing 102206, China)

Abstract

The Great Wall’s heritage, as an iconic symbol of traditional Chinese culture, has fostered prosperous development of the surrounding tourism industry. As a representative of linear cultural heritage, the Great Wall traverses mountainous regions and stretches thousands of kilometers. Given challenges such as climate change, complex geological conditions, and excessive tourism development, safeguarding the Great Wall’s heritage for sustainable tourism development is a pressing concern. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the interaction between ecological resilience and tourism development and to provide a coordinated spatial strategy for the sustainable management of Great Wall towns. From the perspective of ecological safety and resilience, this study focuses on towns located along the Beijing section of the Great Wall. Based on the foundational principles of ecological resilience assessment, an evaluation framework was established to assess the ecological resilience and tourism development levels of these towns during peak tourism periods. Furthermore, we applied a coupling coordination degree model to determine the relationship between ecological safety and resilience subsystems and tourism development. The analysis revealed the ecological safety, ecological resilience, and tourism development levels and their interrelationships in these towns. The assessment identified relatively safer areas such as the Gubeikou Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall, and adjacent tourism towns, revealing the interrelationships among these elements. We not only identified areas with certain ecological risks but also those exhibiting middle ecological resilience capacities, such as the Shuiguan Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall, and Jiuyanlou Great Wall, recommending moderate tourism development in these regions. For every town, this study also calculated the average and maximum values of the coupling coordination degree to guide future ecological construction and tourism strategies. Finally, we offer insights into the present state of ecological development in the studied regions and propose strategies to bolster ecological resilience and optimize spatial tourism layouts.

Suggested Citation

  • Run Wang & Jiahui Lou & Shengqin Huang & Jiarui Xiao & Fei Long, 2025. "Balancing Safety and Growth: An Ecological Resilience Framework for Great Wall Tourism Towns," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-26, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:16:p:7243-:d:1721819
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Xianghong Zhou & Weiwei Chen, 2021. "The Impact of Informatization on the Relationship between the Tourism Industry and Regional Economic Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-23, August.
    2. Manolaki, P. & Zotos, S. & Vogiatzakis, I.N., 2020. "An integrated ecological and cultural framework for landscape sensitivity assessment in Cyprus," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    3. Xiaoling Xie & Gaonan Zhou & Shibao Yu, 2023. "Study on Rural Ecological Resilience Measurement and Optimization Strategy Based on PSR-“Taking Weiyuan in Gansu Province as an Example”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Feiyang Lin & Xuan Zhang & Zhiyao Ma & Yifu Zhang, 2022. "Spatial Structure and Corridor Construction of Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of the Ming Great Wall," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-24, September.
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