This panel explores contemporary issues in China, focusing on the mapping of Islam in the country, digital solutions for elder care within China’s smart aging policies, and the implications of mapping wilderness areas for the management of wilderness travel.
Chao Wang
Shaanxi Normal University, University of Guelph, Associate Professor
Title:
Review and Outlook: a proposal for mapping Islam in China
Abstract:
The digital religion is an important trend in contemporary web-based background. The Electronic Information Technology and the geography of religion are combined to analyze how religions undergo change and spread, and describe the processes and conditions of the diffusion of religious believers. According to a review on digitalization and mapping religions in China, Author tries to outlook and make proposal for mapping Islam in China. The author believes that the amount of the religious sites are important metrics on analyzing distribution and change of religions in China. Meanwhile, the study on the digital Islam in China should include in other variable factors, such as the sects, site scales, demographics, ethnic groups, and all necessary factors to show the changing process of Islam in China.
Huiyang Zhang
University of Sheffield, Ph.D Student
Title:
Digital Solutions for Elder Care: China's Smart Ageing Policies and Practices
Abstract:
The convergence of digitalisation and demographic ageing presents profound opportunities and challenges for societies worldwide. On the one hand, digital technology has significantly enhanced the lives of older people, bringing numerous conveniences to their daily activities, such as personalised shopping services tailored to individual preferences, remote healthcare that reduces time wastage, and smart homes that facilitate ageing-in-place. Digital technologies are increasingly used as communication platforms, as vehicles of care provision (e.g., care robots), and as monitoring devices. On the other hand, the socio-economic development status of different countries affects the extent to which older people receiving care benefit from these technologies. Expensive use costs, varying levels of digital literacy, cultural resistance, and lack of adequate digital care provision pose challenges to the widespread integration of digital technology in the elder care sector.
Although interdisciplinary ageing research is extensive in developed countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan, such studies are still in their infancy in developing countries like PR China. Due to increased life expectancy and rapidly declining fertility rates, the Chinese government, operating within a special socio-economic context of “growing old before getting rich”, is actively promoting and guiding “Smart Health Elderly Care” initiatives.
Then how does the Chinese government integrate digital technologies into elder care services, which care processes have been digitalised and by whom? How does the use of smart elder care at the local level compare to the policy expectations set by the central government? This study aims to answer these questions by combining a thematic and content analysis of official Chinese documents (policies, laws, press releases, etc.) and semi-structured qualitative interviews. These interviews were conducted in care institutions that involved managers and care workers, and in the government from the central to the local level with government officials. By doing so, this study analyses the practice of digital elder care in China from both policy and practical perspectives, offering insights into industry trends and examining how technological empowerment in the elder care industry potentially exacerbates pre-existing socio-economic imbalances.
Yue Cao
Tsinghua University, Associate Professor
Title:
Mapping Wilderness Areas and Its Implication for Managing Wilderness Travel in China
Abstract:
The concept of wilderness is gaining traction in China, driven by the need to conserve biodiversity and provide authentic outdoor experiences. This study presents an integrated approach to mapping wilderness areas across China, employing both Boolean overlay and Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) methods. The Boolean method identifies discrete wilderness patches based on land use, distance from settlements and roads, while the WLC model evaluates the relative wilderness quality within these patches using indicators such as biophysical naturalness and remoteness. The resultant wilderness map reveals over 86,000 patches covering approximately 42% of China's terrestrial area, with significant portions lying outside existing protected areas, highlighting conservation gaps. This research underscores the importance of wilderness mapping for planning wilderness travel that aligns with conservation objectives. Balancing wilderness protection with the growing demand for wilderness travel requires strategic planning, informed by the spatial data provided by this mapping effort. The study also calls for case studies to demonstrate effective wilderness travel management, ensuring sustainable practices that do not compromise the integrity of these pristine areas. By integrating spatial data with on-the-ground management strategies, this research aims to contribute to the sustainable development of wilderness travel in China, while preserving the ecological and experiential values of its wild landscapes.
