Hui Laojia: Children's visit experiences and geographical imagination

This study explores children's domestic visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel experiences and their development of place meaning about their ancestral home or home village, Laojia. Using constructivist grounded theory, data were gathered through 19 drawings and photo-elicitation interviews with children aged 6-12. Findings revealed that Laojia was the central meaning of children's domestic VFR travel, built on their visit experiences and geographical imagination. Results indicated how place meaning arose from and interwove with geographical imagination in constructing Laojia. Children's domestic VFR travel in China represents a unique countryside journey, Hui Laojia. It is crucial to understand this culturally specific and geographically situated practice which integrates the ordinary and the novel. This study makes contributions to research on VFR and geographical imagination. Its findings help tourism managers and destination marketing organizations address the needs of children and families, informing government policies related to rural revitalization. Future directions are discussed.

Automated summary

This study investigates children's development of place meaning and geographical imagination in their domestic visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travel. The findings contribute to the understanding of unique rural journeys in China and provide insights for tourism managers, destination marketing organizations, and government policies related to rural revitalization.