Study On The Forest Cultural Value Evaluation Of Miaofeng Mountain In Beijing

The forest cultural value generated from the Miaofeng Mountain is the fusion of its folk culture and forest resource. Because of its beautiful natural landscape and rich cultural history, the Miaofeng Mountain is an important representative to research the forest cultural value. This paper had systematically analyzed forest cultural value evaluation index system, and developed forest cultural value evaluation methods. The forest cultural valuation on Miaofeng Mountain could provide the guidance meaning to the evaluation on other areas in China, and explore the way for the quantitative assessment about Chinese forest culture. According to the different evaluation indicators from the evaluation index system, this study adopted the corresponding evaluation methods and data collection methods. In order to assess the forest cultural valuation of Miaofeng Mountain, the degree of the interviewee recognition to the forest culture was investigated by using Contingent Valuation Method. Then, the influence factors on the willingness to pay of the interviewee were analyzed by using stepwise regression method. The main results were as follows:1. Clearly defined the boundary and connotation of the forest cultural value.The evaluation index system was built to confirm the boundary of the forest cultural value. The evaluation index system contained four criterions(including welfare, experience, historical accumulation, science and education), ten sub-criterions(including health, aesthetic, spirit inspirational force, afflatus, forest recreation, forest collected, ancient and famous trees, ancient cultural relic, science and education), and fourteen indicators. Meanwhile, based on the attribute of the evaluation index, the paper had chosen the corresponding evaluation methods. The welfare focused on the physical and mental benefits gained by the people. The experience laid emphasis on the interaction of people and forest. From the material level, the historical accumulation carried forest cultural value. Science and education highlighted the human exploration to the forest.2. Based on the forest cultural value evaluation index system, the empirical analysis about the forest cultural value of the Miaofeng Mountain was carried out from four aspects, including the welfare value, the experience value, the historical accumulation value, the science and education value.(1) The welfare value. By qualitatively analyzed the development of the Miaofeng Mountain temple fair, ancient path related to the ancient pilgrimages, and the pilgrim associations, this paper concluded that the Miaofeng Mountain forest beard the massive folk value. Pleasant natural scenery and religious architecture of the Miaofeng Mountain integrated a very high aesthetic value. However, there was no sports activity organized by the government or the formal social groups. Relatively formal learning way such as school classroom, people preferred to learn forest and its cultural value by informal learning way such as internet and books.(2) The experience value. The forest is the important media to feel natural, to get inspiration, and to be an organic whole. Under the background of the good location(located in the northwest of Beijing city, where had a large number of potential consumer groups) and good site conditions, the number of tourist who traveled the Miaofeng Mountain was about 200, 000 per year, and its reception capacity was far from saturation. At the same time, the forest picking garden surrounding the Miaofeng Mountain was on a smaller scale, and its industry scale needed to be ascended.(3) The historical accumulation. Forest was the symbol which connected the past, present and future. Forest which carried out the changeable history, contained rich historical connotations. There were 9(in first level) and 232(in second level) ancient and famous trees left on the Miaofeng Mountain. One of the whole was Chinese scholar tree, and the rest was Chinese pine. The historical sites in a leafy forest were the important vehicle to support the Miaofeng Mountain historical accumulation. According to its geographical distribution, this paper qualitatively analyzed the historical sites around the south road, north road, the old north, the middle path and the summit. Most sites are well protected.(4) The science and education value. The position in scientific research of the Miaofeng Mountain had a concentrated reflection in the important role acted in the development of Chinese folk culture. The Miaofeng Mountain folk activities closely combined of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism and folk beliefs, and through the organization form of temple fair, folk beliefs, folk art performances and fair trade together. The folk activities what inherited the Han nationality traditional auspicious culture, ware the important media to research the demotic life and world view. The Miaofeng Mountain was known as the birthplace of Chinese folk culture, and it still attracted a large number of Chinese and foreign folklore scientists, historian, geographer, religion and sociologist to explore. In addition, the school should be the main organization form in which the primary and middle school students could participate in the education activities associated with the forest. By various education way, how to improve the cognition level of the primary and secondary school students about forest was an important problem that must be taken seriously. This problem was directly related to enhance the overall ecological consciousness of the citizens, and even played a decisive role to promote the process of our construction of ecological civilization.3. Comprehensive evaluation on the Miaofeng Mountain forest cultural valueForest collected was the most acceptable way to participate in practice activities associated with the forest. More than 94% of the respondents agreed that the forest has cultural value; Soothing the mood was the most identity benefits gained by the respondents(82.32%), followed by physical exercise(62.20%) and entertainment(45.12%). The forest culture’s willingness to pay for Miaofeng Mountain is 100 RMB per capita, and the most important influencing factor was an individual’s income, followed by respondents’ approbation to forest culture valuation and the respondents’ education background. Feeling worried about the transparency to the use of paid fees is the most main reason why part of the respondents refused to pay; most interviewee(53.05%) would like to use the willingness to pay on the creation of art associated with the Miaofeng forest culture, and donation(33.77%) was the most acceptable mode of payment by interviewee.