Ethnic Tourism and Ethnic Cuisine

A Case Study of Central Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract

This article investigates the characteristics of dietary culture under conditions of transcultural communication, in the context of a case study of ethnic tourism at sightseeing places （lüyoudian）, using the author's data on menus actually used in central Inner Mongolia, China. Ethnic tourism centered on food is provided at sightseeing places in Inner Mongolia. Although the tastes of Han Chinese visitors are reflected in the structure of the menus, it should not be concluded that only the sense of tourism and the gaze of Han Chinese affect these menus. The sense of ease with the menus provided in Inner Mongolian sightseeing places that is felt by tourists is not derived from their direct experience there. It is instead constructed through the experience of Mongolian restaurants in cities and their customers, shaped most by Mongolians who lives in cities, giving another locus of transcultural communication.