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Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to apply what can be learned from the emergence of nature tourism to understand some current and future trends of tourism. Design/methodology/approach - This study adopted the evolutionary paradigm for investigation. Findings - The emergence of nature tourism in early medieval China can be attributed to four major factors, including transformation of value orientations, seeking longevity, interest in suburbs and population migration. Research limitations/implications - Historical studies help understand the current and future trends. When the contributing factors for nature tourism are linked to the contemporary world, it can be found that these factors are still playing a part in shaping tourism trends or patterns in their original or alternative forms. These trends or patterns are worthy of scholarly investigations. Originality/value - This paper offers a comprehensive understanding of the origins of nature tourism.