According to Chuncheng Evening News, people in the scenics spot in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province are the pride of their place. But now, they are worried about their future. Several Western-style villas pose a great threat to the survival of the scenic spots. Local environmentalists fear that these 4A-Class scenic spots will be ruined in the near future.
Currently there are only five ethnic Dai villages still remaining intact in the region. When a U.S. anthropologist visited Manchunman Village in June 2001, she claimed that it was exactly what she wanted to see. But she also feared that those bamboo resting on stilts would be replaced by villas, just like what Jinghong County did several years ago. However, he fear was not ungrounded.
In last October, 21 renowned painters attended an activity named "famous artists' impressions of Yunnan" and they were all interested in local bamboo houses. They said that such dwelling houses embody is the spirit of the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Without these buildings and rain forests, it will surely lose its characteristics.
Two villagers started building Western-style villas in March 2002. From then on, seven villas have been sprung up in the village.
Some villagers oppose the building of villas, "no one will come to our village if villas are seen everywhere here," they said.
(CRI.com December 4, 2006)
