Summary of Key Points
Recently, the Huangguoshu Waterfall has faced customer dissatisfaction due to an artificial fountain installed at the top of the Doupotang Waterfall. This incident is just a microcosm of a trend in Chinese tourist attractions over the past two years: the creation of unsightly designs. From the Shennong Altar being painted pink, the Nezha statue being transformed into a character resembling "Gangster Baldy," to the plastic heart-shaped structures at the Chaka Salt Lake, and the Jingwei statue being turned into a Western angel, these attractions have all featured large, bright, and conspicuous elements that are considered unattractive. Visitors no longer tolerate such designs, reflecting a shift in their aesthetic preferences towards a simpler, more natural beauty (as seen with the success of the Tianzhang Temple in Shaoxing). The root cause of this aesthetic decline lies in the decision-making processes of state-owned attractions, which are often made by leaders who prefer to follow conservative, successful past examples, while private attractions focus on attracting attention through controversial or sensational designs. To improve the aesthetic quality of attractions, it is necessary to change the decision-making mechanisms and allow professionals to take the lead, moving away from short-term traffic-driven strategies.
The Trend of Unattractive Designs in Attractions
In the past two years, the creation of unsightly designs in attractions has become a somewhat standardized process. For example, the Huangguoshu Waterfall was adorned with an abrupt artificial fountain; the Shennong Altar had its bronze statues painted pink, leading to the joke that "Shennong has turned into a sausage"; the Nezha statue at the Wanzhu Garden had disproportionate features, resembling "Gangster Baldy"; and the heart-shaped structures at the Chaka Salt Lake resembled ibuprofen pills. These designs all share common characteristics: they are large, bright, and vulgar, intended to catch the visitor's attention immediately. Interestingly, many of these unsightly features, which had existed for years without much attention, have suddenly become targets of criticism from visitors, indicating that their tolerance for such designs has reached a critical point.
Visitors Can't Stand It Anymore: A Rise in Aesthetic Standards
Why do visitors find these designs unacceptable now? Because their aesthetic tastes have changed. This year, there was a popular AI meme that transformed famous landmarks around the world, such as the White Cliffs in the UK, into "British White Cliffs AAAAAA Attractions" with added features like glass walkways, cliff swings, and internet-famous signboards, as well as the "Old London Stinky Tofu" attraction. Visitors see these and laugh, recognizing them as the "standard" for unsightly designs in Chinese attractions. This shows that they not only recognize what is ugly but also cannot tolerate this illogical, "vulgar" aesthetic.
On the other hand, the Tianzhang Temple in Shaoxing has become a success story. When it was renovated, it avoided flashy decorations and internet-famous attractions, opting instead for a simple, clean design. It has been called the "ceiling of Chinese aesthetics" and attracted over 5,000 visitors in a single day. This demonstrates that visitors now prefer a natural beauty that is minimalistic and unadorned, avoiding overly decorated and entertainment-oriented attractions.
Two Major Barriers to Improving Aesthetic Standards in Attractions
Do the managers of attractions not know what visitors prefer? They do, but there are two major obstacles they face:
1. State-owned Attractions: Decisions are made by leaders who tend to follow conservative, safe approaches, often replicating successful past designs (such as large sculptures and ornaments) rather than embracing innovation. They believe that the bigger and more impressive the design, the better, often ignoring the opinions of professionals.
2. Private Attractions: These attractions focus on attracting attention through controversial or sensational designs, believing that any design that generates buzz will attract visitors. They are willing to tolerate criticism and even remove the unsightly elements if it brings in more traffic.
The Path to Improving Aesthetic Standards
Removing unsightly elements is relatively easy, but changing the decision-making processes is more challenging. To truly improve the aesthetic quality of attractions, the following steps are needed:
- State-owned Attractions: Allow professionals to make decisions, listen to the opinions of younger people and visitors, and conduct market research to avoid impulsive choices.
- Private Attractions: Move away from short-term traffic-driven strategies and focus on creating attractive, beautiful designs that attract visitors in the long term (just like the Tianzhang Temple example).
There are already attractions (such as Tianzhang Temple) that are making a positive change, and visitors are voting with their feet by choosing more natural and minimalist designs. It is hoped that more attractions will follow this trend, returning to their original beauty. This is not just a matter of nostalgia but a proven approach to attracting visitors and maintaining their interest.
(The translation maintains the structure of the original Chinese text, using clear and natural language that fits the style of financial journalism, while adapting the expressions to fit the English cultural context.)