A Study on the Distribution and Utilization of Recreational Resources Along the Grand Canal Culture Belt

Abstract

With the construction of Grand Canal Culture Belt being upgraded to a national strategy, the authors used GIS and other analytical techniques to give an overview of 2,834 recreational resource points distributed in 49 prefecture-level administrative units of eight provinces or cities along the Grand Canal Culture Belt, analyzed the features of their quantitative and spatial distribution, finding that: (i) the recreational resources along the Grand Canal are spatially related to the major river systems, lakes and arteries of communication; (ii) the recreational resources along the Grand Canal are generally distinguished by a spatial agglomeration of “two poles and two sub-centers”, in which the natural recreational resources are distributed in the pattern of “three points and one line” while the cultural recreational resources are distributed with a notable feature of polarization. On that basis, the authors proposed several suggestions about the utilization of recreational resources along the Grand Canal Culture Belt: (i) Establishing a system of diversified recreational products by adapting to local conditions; (ii) building national scenic byways along the Grand Canal by relying on major river systems and arteries of communication; (iii) giving priority to the development of four recreational sections of the Grand Canal and foster core growth poles.