Tourist Gaze at Chinese Classical Gardens: The Embodiment of Aesthetics (Yijing) in Tourism

Abstract

Classical gardens offer ample cultural and natural landscapes for visitors to appreciate. Taking the tourist gaze as a theoretical lens, this study assumes a netnographic approach and conducts narrative analysis on travel blogs to explore visitors’ experiences at Chinese classical gardens. Findings revealed key domains of the gaze object (i.e., macro-level structural design and micro-level elements) and the way of gaze (i.e., spatial and temporal), which formed the Chinese gaze in the tourism context. Results further showed how gaze contributed to Yijing development, a unique Chinese aesthetic concept. This study enriches the tourism and aesthetics literature by positioning a classical aesthetic concept (Yijing) within a modern tourism practice (gaze). Practical implications for tourism development and destination marketing are provided.

How do aesthetics and tourist involvement influence cultural identity in heritage tourism? The mediating role of mental experience

“…Furthermore, most of the studies had been conducted on the aesthetic aspects of human perceptions of heritage landscapes, which are primarily on art and landscape gardening ( Zhang R. et al, 2021 ; Guanglong and Qian, 2022 ; Zheng et al, 2022 ), and conclusion include the value of heritage aesthetics, the connotation of heritage landscape aesthetics, and aesthetic deconstruction, but little attention has been paid to the impact of heritage tourism aesthetics on mental experience, tourist involvement, and cultural identity.…”

“…Chinese classical gardens are the cultural heritage of China. Studying the spatial beauty of classical garden is of great significance to inherit conventional culture, conventional art, and concentional aesthetics (Guanglong and Qian, 2022;Zheng et al, 2022Zheng et al, ). 10.3389/fpsyg.2022 We can understand that aesthetic experience is a cognitive and processing process, among which aesthetic judgment is a cognitive part of this process.…”

“…Chinese classical gardens are the cultural heritage of China. Studying the spatial beauty of classical garden is of great significance to inherit conventional culture, conventional art, and concentional aesthetics ( Guanglong and Qian, 2022 ; Zheng et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Therefore, this paper combines the SOR model and ABC theory and applies them to the research of heritage tourism, expanding the extension and applicable situation of ABC theory. Second, most of the studies on the aesthetic aspects of heritage tourism focused on the fields of art and landscape architecture ( Zhang R. et al, 2021 ; Guanglong and Qian, 2022 Zheng et al, 2022 ), whose findings can be summarized as the value of heritage aesthetics, the connotations of heritage landscape aesthetics, and aesthetic deconstruction, but little attention has been paid to the impact of heritage tourism aesthetics on mental experience, tourist involvement, and cultural identity. Finally, in the test of mediating effects, this study found that mental experience plays a significant mediating role in the impact paths of both heritage tourism aesthetics and tourist involvement in cultural identity.…”

Quantitative Estimation of the Internal Spatio–Temporal Characteristics of Ancient Temple Heritage Space with Space Syntax Models: A Case Study of Daming Temple

“…Six dimensions in ancient building spaces, i.e., "adoration", " nostalgia', 'liveliness', 'exquisiteness', 'hedonic value', and 'placeness' on visitors' aesthetic experiences are estimated by quantitative methods [3]. A netnographic approach for conducting narrative analysis on heritage tourism marketing is also put forward [4]. An information model of Chinese traditional garden heritage spaces is constructed to improve the accuracy of spatial information and management efficiency, which provides a more convenient solution for the conservation, redesign, and management of temple heritages [5].…”