(File photo of the foundation-laying ceremony of the resort in Baisha county)

A “Mediterranean-style” tourism resort is planned to be erected in Lijiang, an ethnic minority tourism city in southwestern China’s Yunnan province. The project has triggered widespread objections over the possibility that it will damage local culture and ecology.

Public discontent was first sparked when speculations that a “French Mediterranean-style Lijiang resort town” had held its foundation-laying ceremony in Lijiang's Baisha County, where local Naxi culture is currently well preserved and natural resources are rich.

In response, Liu Xiaotian, a general manager for the developer, said at a press conference on Sept. 26 that the descriptor “French Mediterranean-style” was merely temporary, and that it was just an abbreviated version of the hotel’s brand, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Liu stressed that the company has always valued local cultures, and will work to integrate elements of local culture into the resort's design. The site will also feature a museum of Naxi culture, according to Liu.

Yang Fuquan, head of the Naxi Cultural Studies Institute, told Xinhua that Baisha County is one of the few areas where Naxi culture is completely preserved, and that such a resort project must be avoided at all costs in this region.

“We hope the developer can offer a convincing environmental impact assessment report, especially regarding water,” Yang said.

According to information published on the local government's website, the developer's 69.54-hectare plot of land was designated to become an international tourism resort under the condition of water protection.

Meanwhile, some local residents are hoping for more tourism projects to boost their incomes. He Shigang, a former village head of Xinshan Village in Baisha County, said that people in his village mainly live on money earned from farming and raising horses and cows, which yields little annual income.

“The Yushui village nearby has built new houses thanks to tourism. We want to develop tourism as well,” He explained. 

(File photo of Baisha county)