Preserving Heritage: What Africa Can Learn From China's Cultural Tourism Boom

• China boasts of its rich heritage and culture that is now becoming a boom to tourists both locally and internationally
• A visit to Beijing by African journalists exposed how the Asian country is leveraging high-key technology and its rich heritage to tap into tourism
• Kenya, which boasts of good sceneries and is a multicultural society, can learn lessons that may boost the tourism sector

China has successfully blended technology and culture, which has now become a source of revenue, attracting not just local but also international tourists.

During the recently launched Africa Media Partners Campaign, in partnership with China Media Group, African journalists from different nations had the opportunity to explore parts of the Asian country.

The 10-day trip was a testament to how progressive China is and the lessons Africa, particularly Kenya, can learn to tap into its rich culture and beautiful sceneries.

How China is capitalising on rich heritage

China has leveraged cutting-edge technology, including 3D scanning, digital archiving, and virtual reality, to preserve its cultural heritage, making ancient landmarks and traditions accessible to future generations and global tourists.

For example, a visit to the Shaolin Temple highlighted how technology has been used to preserve the original architectural design, the characters their monks used to communicate and write on the walls, the sculptures they considered holy, and the rooms they used for worship or practise Shaolin Kung Fu.

While the temple came to life during the cultural revolution in the 1960s, it still gives both local and international tourists the same experience based on how they have managed to preserve the institution.

Inside China's rich heritage

The same province also hosts Tagou Martial Arts School, an institution that trains students in Shaolin Kung Fu and nurtures their talents from an early age.

Kids as young as seven years old have perfected the art and are the main entertainers to visitors who travel far and beyond to enjoy the Shaolin martial arts.

Additionally, in Ghenzhou, African journalists were treated to a beautiful Shaolin Zen Music Ritual, an outdoor show held close to the mountains with beautiful performances supported by augmented reality.

The Asian country has also preserved archaeological sites dating back to 1600 AD, showing the weapons they used, what they used to cook, and the homes they lived in.

Videos support the showcasing of rich culture, giving tourists an opportunity to travel back in time and see what life was like during that period.

However, what captivated many was the food culture that Chinese people have immersed themselves in.

It was as if every province had a story that only food could tell best. From the steamed Chinese yams to Shaolin Zen glass noodles to Bianjing duck roasted with Jujube wood. Hen haochi (very tasty).

What lessons can Kenya learn from Chinese's heritage

For starters, Chinese people love their culture, and they pay a lot of money to visit places they can ingest and learn more about who they are.

We need to teach our children what their culture entails from an early age. Because we live in a society with multiple cultures, it should be a habit to visit museums or historical places with artefacts that remind us of who we are.

Secondly, the government needs to inject funding to support institutions and individuals working on storytelling the history of Kenya or our way of life.

For example, China's Unique Henan, the Land of Drama in Zhong Mou County, earned KSh 903 million (50 million yuan) in August from local and international tourists who visited to watch dramas in its 21 studios.

Investing in such a sector not only ensures creatives get well paid to tell better stories but also builds a rich culture that Kenya can sell to people who majorly flock to the country to see the Big Five and the coastal part.

Lastly, being progressive starts by being patriotic. You can take a Chinese out of his country, but you cannot take his heritage from him.

We need to love and sell the Kenyan brand and preserve our heritage for future generations.

Proofreading by Otukho Jackson, a multimedia journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke