Page 41 - JCAU-6-3

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Utilization of rural heritage

and development of cultural heritage in rural areas historic towns, which feature both natural and humanistic
(ICOMOS/IFLA, 2013). China has also actively pursued landscapes, is scarce. These public spaces serve as the core
rural heritage preservation, designating 312 famous of rural heritage tourism, integrating various aspects of
historical and cultural towns, 487 famous villages, and indigenous daily political, cultural, and social activities
8155 traditional villages by October 2023. The ongoing (Pang, 2013), and serve as primary venues for tourism
promotion of this listing system indicates that China and commercial endeavors. As such, public spaces
has gradually established a comprehensive policy-level directly shape tourists’ experiences and the inheritance
framework for protecting rural heritage in multiple of rural culture (Cao, 2005; Zhou & Long, 2003). Existing
dimensions (Tao & Zhang, 2021). However, the practical literature on the perception of rural public spaces typically
effectiveness of safeguarding and using rural heritage addresses physical and visual environments, encompassing
remains uncertain. The integration of cultural and rural elements such as air temperature (T ), relative humidity
a
tourism, handicraft, retail, cultural, and tourism industries (RH), wind speed (WS), and noise in the physical realm,
has transformed rural heritage tourist sites from spaces and green spaces, buildings, sky, and roads in the visual
for production to spaces for consumption. Nowadays, realm (Mehrabian & Russell, 1974). Spatial perception is
heritage tourism sites face challenges encompassing explored through psychological questionnaires (Guo et al.,
resource wastage, cultural degradation, and environmental 2015; Hu et al., 2019; Bao et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2021),
pollution. They have transitioned from bustling interviews (Zhang et al., 2020), big data analysis (Yuan
establishments to desolate spaces necessitating urgent et al., 2020), and other methodologies. Questionnaires
spatial optimization. Historic towns are rural heritage and interviews are typically used to assess individuals’
tourism sites with a long history situated between historic subjective experiences in rural settings, although
cities and villages. They retain many historic buildings and challenges arise due to psychological thresholds during
witness the long historical development of each region (Li the research process (Zhu et al., 2023). In addition, big
et al., 2023). In contrast to historical and cultural villages, data analysis offers extensive spatial research granularity
historic towns exhibit a more pronounced presence of but poses challenges in conducting precise evaluations
vernacular elements, distinguished by a comprehensive across different contextual settings within the destination.
historical spatial layout. Therefore, studying the spatial In recent years, with the advancement of spatial research
optimization of rural heritage sites in historic towns holds toward humanization and refinement, many scholars
significant research value and importance. have employed human-factor perception technology
(Chen & Liu, 2018; Fu et al., 2022; Zhu et al., 2021). This
The spatial perception of heritage sites is a prerequisite technique involves measuring physiological indicators
for spatial optimization (Stylos et al., 2016). Perception, exhibited by individuals wearing physiological sensing
in this context, entails the synthesis of sensation and instruments in corresponding situations to characterize
cognition. Sensation refers to the cognitive reflection their subconscious sensations and cognitions. Although
induced by external objective stimuli acting directly on investigations utilizing this technique offer relatively small
sensory organs. Conversely, cognition involves a series spatial granularity, they yield more objective outcomes.
of processing mechanisms that organize and interpret Regarding research content and context, existing literature
sensory information originating from external objects and predominantly focuses on high-intensity positive
events (Goldstein & Brockmole, 2016). The inquiry into emotional states experienced by subjects (e.g., excitement
how individuals perceive and use space, and the extent and happiness) (Fu et al., 2022; Zhu et al., 2021), paying
to which space influences their perceptions and behavior, less attention to low-intensity pleasurable emotions (e.g.,
forms a central question. This question lends itself to relaxation and calmness). Furthermore, previous studies
quantitative measurement and analysis, considering the have primarily been conducted in laboratory settings,
characteristics of the physical spatial environment and while current research emphasizes data acquisition in real-
individuals’ immediate perceptions and behaviors (Ye & life environments (Xie & Zhu, 2023).
Dai, 2017).
This study explored the relationship between changes
Based on existing literature, spatial perception in physical and visual environments and changes in
research in this domain focuses on urban environments subjects’ perception at a rural heritage tourism site, with
(Bao et al., 2019; Guo et al., 2015; Hu et al., 2019; Jepson Jinggang historic town in Changsha, Hunan province,
& Sharpley, 2015; Wang et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2020). China, serving as a case study. Portable sensors were used
Fewer studies have investigated rural areas, with most to collect biosensing data, facilitating an investigation
focusing on rural public spaces dominated by natural into the primary spatial elements affecting subjects’
landscapes. Furthermore, exploration of public spaces in perceptions. This study aims to answer the following

Volume 6 Issue 3 (2024) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.2481