The Classification and Qualitative Evaluation of Wenchuan Earthquake Vestige Landscape for Tourism
汶川地震遗迹旅游资源分类及特色评价

NumerousEarthquake Vestige Landscape for Tourism had emerged after the May 12th, 2008 Ms 8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake which happened along the Longmen Shan fault zone on the eastern margin of Tibet and near the Sichuan foreland basin. The Earthquake Vestige Landscape for Tourism has become not only the key objects for scientific research but also the potential attractions for tourism development in the quake-stricken area. Previous studies of the classification of Earthquake Vestige Landscape failed to reach an agreement and hence there existed different perspectives and methodologies. Based on literature review and considering the formation and landscape types, the authors classified the Earthquake Vestige Landscape for Tourism into 2 groups and then subdivided them into 4 categories, 6 units and 13 basic elements. Quake sites such as Beichuan County, Baihua Bridge of Du-Wen Highway, and Ruptures of Shenxigou Valley in Dujiangyan City, Tangjiashan Earthquake Barrier Lake and Chengxi Landslides have been briefly described. Different Earthquake Vestige Landscape for Tourismhave different outstanding features, which are grouped into four types, namelygeoscience research objects with international significance, typical earthquake traces with global attractiveness, world-famous attractions with great potentials for exploitation, and world-shaking natural disaster spots with strong memorial sense. The findings are likely to provide some valuable scientific references for the development of disaster tourism and the revitalization of tourism industry in the quake-hit mountainous regions of west Sichuan.