Yangshou, China

Yangshou is an odd place. It obvious that in the recent past it has been a tourist destination for young backpackers. There remains of evidence this in the style and the names of cafes and shops found in the tourist precinct. It has a seventies ambience. This is changing rapidly. Construction of large hotels is taking place. It won't be long before the quaintness of Yangshou disappears entirely to be replaced by . . . ? This is not a judgement, just an observation. The Han Chinese propensity to turn small tourist operations into monopolies is relentless. As it stands, local guides and small local operations have been steadily marginalised in Yangshou, only to be replaced by centrally controlled CTS (China Travel Service) operations. This often means that the tourist dollar does not benefit the local population to the same degree that it would if CTS took a community development approach to tourism, which is sad.