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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Tourist perception of calligraphic landscape

3. Data sources and method perceptions of calligraphic landscapes (Table 1). Words
related to cities were also categorized and counted, and the
3.1. User-generated content top 10 tourist cities related to calligraphy were compiled
The data for this study were collected from social media (Figure 1).
texts published on public social platforms. A Python data Notably, Shaoxing in Zhejiang province and Xi’an
extraction tool was utilized to gather UGC specifically in Shaanxi province, both in China, show the strongest
related to keywords such as “calligraphy attractions,” relevance to calligraphic landscapes, displaying significant
“calligraphy tourism,” and “calligraphic landscapes” from thematic distinctions that underscore their established
the Xiaohongshu app. The text filtering process involved: tourism images centered around calligraphy culture.
(i) Removing posts not relevant to calligraphy; (ii) filtering
out duplicate and non-textual content; (iii) excluding posts The analysis of the top 50 high-frequency words reveals
that discussed calligraphic landscapes in non-touristic that nouns predominate, with fewer adjectives and verbs.
contexts (e.g., interior decoration, calligraphy teaching, Many of these high-frequency nouns relate directly to the
and design cases); and (iv) eliminating promotional and scenic spots of tourist destinations, reflecting tourists’ keen
advertising content. After applying these selection criteria, attention to and awareness of these places. For example,
a total of 805 posts comprising 171,243 words were terms, such as “Shuyuanmen,” “Beilin Museum,” “Wang
obtained for further analysis. Xizhi’s hometown,” and “Lu Xun’s hometown” appear
frequently, indicating that these scenic spots and attractions
3.2. Research method hold significant positions in the minds of tourists. These
In this study, ROST CM6 was used for field analysis of locations are not only pivotal carriers of calligraphic
text content, including word frequency, classification, and landscapes but also form the essence of tourists’ cultural
social semantics. A co-occurrence matrix was calculated experiences.
and generated, and co-occurrence cluster visualization The high frequency of terms such as “checking in”
was performed using VOSviewer. In addition, based on (n = 160) and “taking pictures” (n = 149) partly reflects
the co-occurrence cluster analysis results, NVivo 20 was the motivations of tourists to visit calligraphic landscapes,
used to conduct an in-depth analysis of the social media
text data to interpret the characteristics and differences which many tourists regard as an important social
in tourists’ perceptions of the function and meaning of behavior. This behavior is closely related to social media
calligraphic landscapes. and internet-famous culture, in which tourists mark their
visit to significant or popular places by “checking in.” As a
3.2.1. Content analysis method type of cultural consumer product, internet-famous culture
Content analysis is a research method that transforms represents a specific symbolic value, reflecting consumers’
unstructured, qualitative symbolic content into structured, emphasis on cultural connotations while transcending
quantitative data (Wang & Sun, 2015). Given its significant mere utilitarian values (Yan et al., 2022).
advantages in analyzing tourists’ spatial perceptions of Calligraphic landscapes are not only objects of artistic
destinations, this method has been widely applied in recent appreciation but also important content for visitors to
studies on destination perception (Dai & Xue, 2022). display their personal cultural tastes and lifestyles on digital
platforms. This phenomenon reflects a transformation in
3.2.2. Semantic network analysis the meaning of calligraphy: as an art form, it is gradually
Semantic network analysis is a technique used to identify losing its status as a representative of elite culture and is
relationships between words in UGC texts (Park et al., 2019). increasingly taking on a more popular and entertaining
In this network, each word is treated as a node, and the character (Li, 2004). At the same time, due to media
co-occurrence relationships between words are represented publicity and growing recognition of calligraphy culture,
as links. The strength of the connection between two words it has gained acceptance among younger generations. Text
is determined by their co-occurrence frequency (Figueiredo analysis reveals that calligraphy is considered a kind of
et al., 2011). Each pair of linked words has a co-occurrence trendy culture or a representative of Chinese esthetics. The
distribution, which serves as input for generating matrix data. fusion of calligraphy and elements of popular culture has
fostered a unique, popular style.
4. Result
The development of mass media has accelerated the
4.1. Analysis of high-frequency words dissemination of calligraphic landscape symbolism,
Through network text analysis, the top 50 high-frequency strengthening public perceptions of tourist spaces and their
feature words were extracted to understand tourists’ meaning (Tong & Tang, 2013). The act of “checking in” at

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 4 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3825