AFTER watching a film set in Southwest China’s Taoping Qiang Village, college student Chen Xuan decided to explore the unique architecture captivating audiences for himself. “The stone-walled houses are truly incredible. They look even more ancient and mystical than in the film,” he said, marveling at the ingenuity of the Qiang people while wandering through the village. The Qiang ethnic group is one of China’s oldest ethnic minority groups. The film that inspired his trip was “Design of Death,” a suspenseful 2012 comedy about uncovering a secret hidden in a mountainside village. In recent years, several movies and TV series have been filmed in the village, igniting enthusiasm to travel to this village among viewers. Wang Li, a Tibetan tour guide in the village, has welcomed international tourists looking to revisit scenes from “Forbidden Kiss,” a romantic drama co-directed by Chinese and U.S. filmmakers. The movie tells the story of a young American architect who accidentally poisons himself and is saved miraculously by a woman from the Qiang ethnic group. Wang said the rich tapestry of Qiang culture portrayed in the film has inspired audiences to seek out firsthand experiences. Thanks to these film and TV works, Taoping Qiang Village has been experiencing a tourism boom over the past few years. Nestled in a gorge near the upper reaches of the Minjiang River in Sichuan Province, the village has existed for over two millennia. It is primarily inhabited by people of the Qiang ethnic group, which has a nationwide population exceeding 310,000. The village stands as a living testament to the enduring beauty and resilience of the Qiang culture. Often called the “ethereal dwellers,” the Qiang people are known to be exceptionally skilled at building homes with stones and wood. These sturdy residences can withstand harsh weather and seismic activity. Imposing watchtowers — serving as both lookout posts and defensive fortifications — rise above these homes, and they have become a prominent symbol of the Qiang culture in the film industry. To cater to its tourist surge, the village has opened a special area to display stills of film and TV works, and offers guided tours of filming locations. Taoping Qiang Village is among many tourist destinations in China that are capitalizing on this film-trail trend to attract more visitors. “Her Name Is Xilan” has ignited tourism in Tujia ethnic group areas, and “Journey to the South” has boosted tourism in Xizang. “Films and TV dramas set in areas populated by ethnic minority groups directly stimulate their audiences’ curiosity and interest in cultures different from their own,” said Zhang Li, a professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Journalism and Communication. Zhang noted that related cultural productions not only enhance the popularity of tourist attractions, but also contribute to preserving the cultural heritage of ethnic minorities. Looking ahead, Wang envisions a future in which Taoping Qiang Village will leverage new technologies like VR and AR to re-create scenes from films and offer a more immersive experience for tourists. (Xinhua) | 