• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.295-308
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• 2016

The purposes of this research are to not only investigate the time-based and regional characteristics in process of development of rural tourism in China, but also explain the significances of rural tourism in China by economic-political significance and social-cultural significance. The characteristics and significances investigated throughout this research are as follows. First, the development of rural tourism in China can be divided by three stages: the first stage(1980-1990), the second stage(1990-2000), the third stage (2000 -). Second, the rural tourism in China has been mainly developed around the metropolitan city such as Beijing, Chengdu. But, they showed different characteristics in process of development of rural tourism. Third, rural tourism in China has been used in solving san-nong(三農) problems which are the most urgent issues in contemporary China and reducing the gaps of living standard between urban and rural area. Forth, rural tourism in China has contributed in satisfying the needs of travel and leisure caused by the improvement of living standard of people due to China's rapid economic growth. Last, it is suggested in this research that the legal and institutional systems be prepared to guarantee the benefits of farmers.

• Journal of Agricultural Extension & Community Development
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.191-203
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• 2015

The purposes of this study are to explain the background and significance of the 'Farmers' upstairs'(農民上樓) phenomenon which has been currently promoted as part of the "New Socialist Countryside Construction" in contemporary China, and its positive and negative aspects, and analyze the limitations of 'Farmers' upstairs'phenomenon. 'Farmers' upstairs'means the building of concentrated farmhouses by means of reconstruction of scattered farmhouses here and there, simultaneously by installing cultural, social welfare, and environmental facilities where rural farmer also could enjoy the convenience of urban living. It brings, however, the positive effects such as the improvement of living conditions of rural farmers, the simultaneously expanding of urban construction land and agricultural land, and the new influx of population from urban areas, whiles the negative effectives such as the forced demolition of farmhouses by governments or real estate developers with very lower compensation costs for the demolition of farmhouses, the gap from the standard of living, and above all, the inconvenience caused by the living in a multi-stories building in the rural villages. As a result, it is pointed out that the ongoing 'Farmers' upstairs', promoted as a kind of rural movement beyond a phenomenon, has similarities with the Rural Cooperative Movement(農村合作化運動) of Mao Zedong era(1953-61), namely the People's Commune Movement(人民公社運動) finally failed.