Estimating the Non-Use Value of Laojun Mountain National Park: A Contingent Valuation Study with Cultural Identity Mediation in Yunnan, China

Laojun Mountain National Park, within China's Three Parallel Rivers World Heritage region, holds significant non-use value estimated at 79.697 to 260.841 billion yuan annually, based on a contingent valuation study analyzing 219 survey responses. Key determinants of willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation include education, income, occupation, cultural identity, and recognition of legacy values. Interaction effect logistic regression revealed that cultural identity's influence on WTP is moderated by income level and ecological awareness. Motivational analysis identified aesthetic appreciation, cultural meaning, and intergenerational ethics as primary drivers of conservation support, while refusal to pay was largely tied to expectations of governmental responsibility among low-income and less-educated respondents. This study advances bio-cultural valuation theory, informs Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) scheme design, and highlights the need for integrating socio-cultural dimensions into sustainable conservation finance and policy strategies.

Yang, C., Wu, R., Tao, J., Jiang, Q., Zhao, J., Xu, J., & Liu, Q. (2025). Estimating the Non-Use Value of Laojun Mountain National Park: A Contingent Valuation Study with Cultural Identity Mediation in Yunnan, China. Sustainability, 17(20), 9346. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17209346