In recent years, Chongming Island in Shanghai has steadfastly pursued an eco-first and green development path, aiming to create a national ecological civilization brand and build a world-class ecological island. The "Chongming World-Class Ecological Island Development Plan Outline (2021-2035)" issued by the Shanghai Municipal Government emphasizes the goal of making Chongming a key window that showcases China's important role as a global participant, contributor, and leader in ecological civilization construction.

Under the dual carbon goals, the Chongming government is actively promoting the development of the Chongming carbon neutrality demonstration zone, leveraging its ecological advantages to advance the construction of a world-class ecological island.

Recently, a rural resort hotel on this world-class ecological island—XuanAo Hotel—has become the first hotel on the island to obtain a carbon neutrality certificate. What green story does it tell?

Telling the vibrant story of chongming's ecological civilization construction through the theme of "Carbon Neutral"

Shanghai Chongming Island has natural advantages for developing green and low-carbon industries. Statistics show that the forest coverage rate on Chongming Island reaches 30.62%, accounting for nearly one-third of the total forest area in Shanghai. Over the past 20 years, the Chongming District has shut down nearly a thousand energy-intensive and heavily polluting enterprises, vigorously building a "Five New" ecological industrial system, which includes key areas such as new ecological cultural tourism and green technology.

As a seasoned figure in Chongming's tourism industry and a representative of the People's Congress, Zhou Qin has aligned with the policy direction for building an ecological civilization on Chongming Island, continuously focusing on the development of ecological tourism and green low-carbon tourism on the island.

"In recent years, the government has actively promoted the construction of a carbon neutrality demonstration zone in Chongming. As a representative of the People's Congress, I have offered suggestions, proposing the establishment of carbon neutrality homestays and hotels, and linking them with partners in the tourism industry chain, such as digital cycling stations and handicraft workshops, to implement 'carbon benefits' and actively promote the green low-carbon development of Chongming Island", Zhou Qin shared about his entrepreneurial aspirations.

Zhou Qin, the Founder of XuanAo Hotel

"With the support of the carbon neutrality demonstration zone, the Chongming tourism market is full of potential. I am very confident in developing XuanAo Village Hotel, actively practicing green and sustainable ecological principles."

In 2023, leveraging over a decade of experience in operating homestays and hotels, along with a deep understanding of ecological tourism and low-carbon concepts, Zhou Qin created a uniquely designed rural art hotel—XuanAo Hotel—on her hometown of Chongming Island, incorporating the philosophy of "harmonious coexistence between humans and nature" into its design, construction, and operational management.

XuanAo Hotel features a high level of greenery, with approximately 500 native plants, including Metasequoia, camphor, and osmanthus, in its garden. The hotel has extensive natural lighting and utilizes energy-efficient lighting and appliances to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Most of the furniture is made from rattan and old gauze yarn, while decorative items are handcrafted crafts, such as plant-dyed paintings and fabric potted plants.

Inside the rooms, the rattan roofs, undyed cotton bedding sets, and breathable “micro-cement” walls all contribute to a feeling of "living in nature" for guests.

XuanAo Hotel

To actively respond to the national dual carbon goals, Zhou Qin began to envision transforming XuanAo Hotel into the "first carbon neutral rural resort hotel on a world-class ecological island".

With the support of Carbon Newture, XuanAo Hotel conducted a detailed carbon inventory of its greenhouse gas emissions during its 2023 operations, adhering to the requirements of the ISO 14064-1:2018 standard set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Moreover, XuanAo Hotel did not stop at merely conducting a carbon inventory; it made a firm commitment to continuously monitor and reduce the hotel’s carbon emissions.

Furthermore, XuanAo Hotel achieved carbon neutrality for its operations in 2023. A third-party authoritative certification agency, CTI, conducted a comprehensive review and certification of XuanAo Hotel's carbon neutrality process based on the Carbon Neutrality Certification Specification (PAS 2060:2014).

As the first carbon neutral rural resort hotel on Chongming Island, XuanAo Hotel, themed around "carbon neutrality", silently tells the vibrant story of ecological civilization construction in Chongming to its guests, allowing them to immerse themselves in a green travel experience.

Integrating Intangible Heritage into a Sustainable Low-Carbon Journey

In April of this year, Qiushi magazine published an important article by General Secretary Xi Jinping titled "Strengthening the Protection and Inheritance of Cultural Heritage and Promoting Excellent Traditional Chinese Culture." The article emphasizes the importance of deeply exploring, inheriting, and innovating outstanding traditional local culture, allowing China’s long-standing agricultural civilization to showcase its charm and splendor in the new era[1]. In November 2023, the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism issued the "Implementation Opinions on Further Strengthening the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage," establishing goals for the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage to help Shanghai build a modern socialist international metropolis and enhance its cultural influence.

Chongming Island, where Zhou Qin grew up, holds a deep significance for her, and she is passionate about exploring and passing down the local intangible cultural heritage of Chongming.

As a high-star-rated, high-quality rural resort hotel on Chongming Island, XuanAo Hotel follows a design concept that primarily incorporates Chongming’s intangible cultural heritage of homespun cloth, complemented by eco-friendly plant dyeing. The hotel seamlessly integrates elements of Chongming homespun cloth and plant dyeing into its furnishings and environmental ambiance.

From the old gauze decorations in the hotel lobby to the plush toys in the rooms, products made from Chongming homespun cloth are omnipresent. Zhou Qin hopes to permeate this cloth culture into all aspects of the guests’ lives, using it as a medium to draw more attention to Chongming’s intangible cultural heritage among tourists.

The lobby of XuanAo Hotel features an exhibition area for the public to visit and learn about intangible cultural heritage, and guests can also visit the nearby Chongming Intangible Cultural Heritage Homespun Cloth Museum to immerse themselves in the charm of this heritage culture.

In the Intangible Cultural Heritage Homespun Cloth Museum, the exhibition area preserves the traditional textile culture of Chongming developed over centuries while also showcasing fashionable and uniquely Chongming-inspired cultural and creative products, such as homespun qipaos, artistic fans made from homespun cloth, and home accessories.

Chongming intangible cultural heritage homespun cloth loom of XuanAo Hotel

The intangible cultural heritage of Chongming homespun cloth and the eco-friendly plant dyeing techniques convey the green, low-carbon concepts of textile craftsmanship and plant-based dyeing.

Guests staying at XuanAo Carbon Neutral Hotel use energy-efficient, low-carbon facilities, reducing the carbon footprint of their travel activities, practicing green consumption, and experiencing a deep connection between humanity and nature. The aim is to make “green low-carbon travel” a memorable and meaningful highlight of their journey.

“We hope that while guests are appreciating the natural beauty of traditional intangible cultural heritage, they can also better understand the essence of green and low-carbon living, and actively participate in a sustainable lifestyle”, Zhou Qin said.

XuanAo Hotel's young manager Zhou Yuxin

The inheritance of intangible cultural heritage depends on the younger generation. After studying abroad, XuanAo Hotel's young manager Zhou Yuxin returned to Chongming Island to devote herself to the preservation of local intangible cultural heritage and the green cultural tourism industry. As a young inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, she and her team, with their expertise in homespun dyeing and weaving techniques, restored 2,000 patterns through weaving templates, naming them the "Longitude and Latitude Codes," in their effort to protect the traditional craftsmanship of Chongming homespun.

Looking ahead, Zhou Qin hopes to expand the scope of “green low-carbon” and “carbon neutrality” to a broader tourism industry chain. This includes turning local specialties such as "Chongming rice" and "Chongming pumpkin" into carbon-neutral products, and collaborating with partners in Chongming’s tourism industry to embark on a journey of green transformation together.

Refrence：

1.《求是》杂志发表习近平总书记重要文章《加强文化遗产保护传承 弘扬中华优秀传统文化》