Is Sanxiarenjia investing in the Sandouping tourist wharf an opportunity for the development of Sandouping?

According to an announcement released by the Three Gorges Tourism Group on 28 June, Sandouping tourist wharf concluded on 27 June an agreement --- Capital Increase and Share Expansion Agreement of Yichang Sandouping Tourist Wharf Co., Ltd. --- with Sanxiarenjia to increase its registered capital and shares. A contribution in kind, with wharf boat Sandouping No.1, wharf boat Sandouping No.2, 5 pontoon docks, and 10 gangways, was made by Sanxiarenjia to Sandouping tourist wharf. The appraised value of the contribution was RMB 19.3889 million, of which RMB 16.1076 million was included in the registered capital and RMB 3.2813 million in the capital reserve. Upon the completion of the capital increase, the registered capital of Sandouping tourist wharf will be increased from RMB 80 million to RMB 19.3839 million; with Sanxiarenjia taking a 16.76% stake, the stake held by Three Gorges Tourism Group, the parent company of Sandouping tourist wharf, decreased from 100% (total ownership) to 83.24%.

Details of the contribution from Sanxiarenjia

The cooperation between the two entities may be beneficial for the integration and improvement of tourism resources in the town of Sandouping. The official announcement from the Three Gorges Tourism Group indicated that the cooperation allowed the Sandouping tourist wharf to make use of the resource advantages of Sanxiarenjia and improve the infrastructure of the wharf, and both entities could contribute respectively to strengthening its port function based on their advantages in resources and operation. In line with the plans of the town mayor Wang Tao, these resources can enhance the quality and image of the local tourism industry, facilitate the Three Strategies--- all-for-one tourism and night economy, ‘tourism plus’, and ‘plus tourism’, support achieving the ‘double million goals’ --- receiving 10 million tourists and accommodating 1 million overnight tourists, and boost the development of Sandouping as a world-renowned tourism town. And, under the guideline of the ongoing 14th Five-Year Plan for the Tourism Sector of the People’s Republic of China, Sandouping may become part of the Beautiful China tourism image, contributing to the development of China’s internationally recognized, China-featured, foreign market-oriented tourism products.

Also, the integrated tourism resources may provide opportunities for the development of the local social economy. For a town with the development strategy “Develop with the Three Gorges Dam, Prosper from Tourism”, the enhancement of tourism resources may benefit the development of its infrastructures such as roads, parking lots, public toilets and sewage and waste treatment facilities, and the increase in tourists may bring more business to local restaurants and guesthouses. villagers and farmers might also be able to well participate in and benefit from related activities and sectors, enjoying the benefits of the town’s tourism development. Therefore, while companies make profits, villagers and farmers improve economically, contributing jointly to rural revitalization.

For the locals, such hopes and imaginations are like déjà vu. After the commencement of the Three Gorges Project in the 1990s, “ gold seekers” from all over the country rushed in and brought economic prosperity to Sandouping, in some years during that period, the town hosted over 2400 enterprises and over 2300 individual commercial units; Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Bank of China all opened their branches and erected large and multi-storied buildings in the town centre; night clubs and beauty salons were scattered everywhere, some even located adjacent to schools; the flow of tourists reached an average of more than 10,000 people per day in the peak period. The town enjoyed great economic prosperity at the turn of the millennium.

Although great, the prosperity was evanescent. Sandouping fell into silence after 2000. On Daishi Brook, the unfinished shopping mall disappeared, leaving only the buried segment of the brook occasionally flooding the streets; the multi-storied buildings from the banks have changed hands several times and left vacant over the years. The dilapidated Xingwu Hotel, the run-down residential block by Li Jiazhen, and, opposite the grain bureau, the abandoned concert construction by Anwang Group were all reminders of Sandouping’s past glories, inspiring further, perhaps deeper, thinkings for the locals.  

Will tourism in Sandouping work as officially planned? What is its path to becoming a world-renowned tourism town? Will the ongoing development be again ephemeral, and soon fall to the ground? Are the locals witnessing another repletion of history? Under the strong presence of large tourist enterprises, how many locals could enjoy the benefits brought by Sandouping’s tourism development? And, to what extent and at what cost could they enjoy the benefits? Could it again become enclosures by capitalists under the disguise of local development？Should the locals be hopeful or vigilant?

Perhaps, all shall be good as long as the locals are well fed.

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三峡人家入股三斗坪旅游码头，三斗坪镇旅游迎来发展新契机

据交运集团官网6月28日公开信息，三峡人家和三斗坪旅游码头于6月27日签订了《宜昌三斗坪旅游港埠有限公司增资扩股协议》，对三斗坪旅游码头进行增资扩股。三峡人家以三斗坪趸1号、三斗坪趸2号、5艘跳趸船，以及10条跳板等实物资产出资入股至三斗坪旅游码头。这些资产评估价值合计1,938.89万元，其中，1,610.76万元计入注册资本，328.13万元计入资本公积。增资完成后，三斗坪旅游码头注册资本将由8,000.00万元增至9,610.76万元，三斗坪旅游码头的母公司宜昌交运集团的持股比例100%变更为83.24%，三峡人家取得三斗坪旅游码头16.76%股权。

一图看懂三峡人家入股详情

两家企业合作有可能促进三斗坪镇旅游资源的整合和提升。交运集团的官方公告指出，通过入股合作，三斗坪旅游码头可以充分利用三峡人家的资源优势，完善三斗坪旅游码头水域相关配套基础设施，并充分发挥各自资源和运营的比较优势，推动三斗坪旅游码头强化港站功能。根据三斗坪镇党委书记王涛的规划，这些资源也有可能提升三斗坪镇的旅游产业服务品质和品牌形象，助力三斗坪镇 “全域旅游、夜游经济、’旅游+’ ’+旅游’”三大战略，奋力实现千万人次旅游、百万人次旅宿的“双万”目标，加快三斗坪镇世界旅游名镇建设步伐，同时在当前国家“十四五”旅游业发展规划的引导下，成为“美丽中国”旅游形象的组成部分。为中国打造国际化程度高、中国特色明显、适合境外主流市场的优质旅游产品，为不断增强中国旅游品牌吸引力和影响力做贡献。

经过整合的三斗坪镇旅游资源，也可能为当地社会经济发展提供了契机。对于“靠坝立镇，旅游兴镇”三斗坪镇来说，旅游资源的提升，可以带动道路、停车场、厕所、污水垃圾处理设施等基础设施的发展；游客数量的增加，可能为三斗坪镇的餐馆和乡村民宿带来商机；也可能让农民更好分享旅游业发展红利，提升农民参与度和获得感。进而实现企业增效、农民增收，助力乡村振兴。

当然，对土生土长的本地人来说，这种美好期望似曾相识。上世纪90年代三峡工程开工后，外来的“淘金者”带动了三斗坪的经济发展。集镇上一度出现2400多家企业和2300多家个体工商户；工商银行、农业银行、建设银行、以及中国银行纷至沓来，在集镇上盖起了高楼；舞厅发廊不仅占据了大街小巷，甚至都开到了学校门口；游客流量在高峰期达到日均万人以上；共同创造了三斗坪在世纪之交的繁荣。

 然而，这种繁荣却十分短暂。2000之后，三斗坪逐渐陷入了沉寂。代石沟上的商贸城早已荡然无存，只剩下被商贸城变成涵管的大沟时不时地造成大水漫街；银行的高楼几经转手，早已闲置多年；被遗弃的兴武大酒店、破败的李家振商品楼、粮食局对面安旺集团的烂尾楼… … 这些建筑不仅能让人想起三斗坪往昔的喧嚣，也启发着当地人去对比和思考如今的发展动向。

三斗坪镇旅游能否像预期的搞起来？世界旅游名镇怎么实现？现在的发展会不会再次转瞬即逝，最终又落得一地鸡毛？历史是否会再次重演？公司资本进入到三斗坪之后，又有多少本地居民能够享受三斗坪旅游发展所带来的好处？在多大程度上享受到好处？代价又是什么？会不会变成打着地方发展的幌子，再次成为资本的圈地行为? 是该心怀期许，还是保持警惕？

也许，本地老百姓能吃饱饭就行。

参考资料：

【1】     关于全资子公司增资扩股引入投资者的公告. 湖北三峡旅游集团官网公开信息：http://www.hbsxly.com/html/2022/linshigonggao_0628/1283.htm

【2】     【书记局长话发展】三斗坪镇：用活“两坝一峡”资源 打造世界旅游名镇. 宜昌市夷陵区人民政府网站：http://www.10.gov.cn/content-635-541027-1.html

【3】     国务院关于印发“十四五”旅游业发展规划的通知. 中国政府网: http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2022-01/20/content_5669468.htm

【4】     三斗坪镇志. 三峡电子音像出版社. 2011.11