'Grandpa Gourd' Offers a Lesson for Tourism Development
An elderly man in Shaoxing's Shusheng Guli area became known as 'Grandpa Gourd' after gourds grown on his balcony resembled a scene from the cartoon 'Calabash Brothers'. After a surge in visitors, he cut the gourds down, then hung them back up. The article notes that residential spaces unexpectedly becoming internet-famous attractions bring noise, congestion, safety hazards, and disruption to residents, with costs borne by the person and community while benefits are shared by platforms, bloggers, and nearby businesses. It suggests establishing rapid response and carrying capacity assessment mechanisms, transforming point-based check-ins into area-based experiences, and establishing communit…
Impact and considerations
Unexpectedly viral non-scenic check-in spots pose new challenges for tourism governance and community protection, requiring balance among traffic guidance, resident rights, and visitor experience, offering reference for urban cultural tourism management.
Key points
- An elderly man in Shaoxing's Shusheng Guli area became known as 'Grandpa Gourd' after gourds on his balcony resembled a scene from 'Calabash Brothers'.
- After a surge in visitors, he cut the gourds down due to concerns, then hung them back up.
- Residential spaces unexpectedly becoming internet-famous attractions bring noise, congestion, safety hazards, and disruption to residents.
- Costs of traffic are borne by the person and community, while benefits are shared by platforms, bloggers, and nearby businesses.
- The article suggests establishing rapid response and carrying capacity assessment mechanisms, and transforming point-based check-ins into area-based experiences.
- The article suggests establishing community protection and ethical norms for non-scenic internet-famous spots.
Sources and time
- Primary source
- 中国旅游新闻网
- Other sources
- 0
- First source publication
- 15 Sept 2026, 08:00
- Page published
- 16 Sept 2026, 00:05
- Last updated
- 15 Sept 2026, 08:00
- Original links
- China Tourism News：“葫芦爷爷”给旅游发展提了个醒-中国旅游新闻网Document (opens in a new tab)Primary source · zh · Published 15 Sept 2026, 08:00