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Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Tourist perception of calligraphic landscape

Xi’an is a world-renowned historical and cultural city, demanding on-site appreciation and evaluation. It serves
where 13 dynasties were founded. With a history spanning as both an object of admiration and a source of learning,
over 3,100 years, Xi’an boasts a rich cultural and historical representing the pinnacle of calligraphic artistry. Tourist
heritage, along with numerous historical buildings. descriptions of their appreciation and sentiment toward
Among the notable places, Xi’an Stele Forest Museum and the historical relics at Xi’an Stele Forest tend to be
Shuyuan Gate Historical Block show a high correlation polarized. For calligraphy aficionados, Xi’an’s calligraphic
with calligraphic landscape. The Xi’an Stele Forest Museum landscape holds special significance due to its rich
is a specialized calligraphy museum focused on the diversity in preserved forms, encompassing classic works
collection, research, and display of stone steles, epitaphs, throughout history. Immersing oneself in this unique
and stone carvings. The Xi’an Forest of Steles displays historical atmosphere and cultural background allows for
more than 1,000 steles and epitaphs from the Han dynasty a subjective, intricate, and profound tourism activity where
(206 BCE – 220 CE) to the Qing dynasty (1644 – 1912). one can carefully read and appreciate both the content and
A review of the associated texts reveals that tourists’ artistic characteristics within each piece.
perceptions of calligraphic landscapes manifest in three For ordinary tourists, appreciating calligraphic
main perceptual dimensions, namely heritage perception, landscapes mainly involves identifying the content of the
calligraphic appreciation, and cultural symbolism. calligraphy. During this process, calligraphic landscapes
Heritage perception pertains to the description of are viewed as decorative elements within the environment
the material-functional value of calligraphic landscapes. and as architectural symbols. Although ordinary tourists
Tourists delineate carrier forms, heritage quantity, spatial may rely on guided explanations to meet their expectations
ambiance, and environmental locations, forming their and deepen their understanding of the cultural background
perceptions of the material attributes of calligraphic works and historical value of calligraphy, their appreciation often
and the environmental context of calligraphic landscapes. remains at a basic and superficial level. Therefore, the
In this process, the content, form, quantity, and material significance of calligraphy appreciation is not universal.
carriers of calligraphic landscapes become the most direct Tang et al. (2016) discovered that the appreciation of
standards of perception for tourists. Furthermore, tourists calligraphy in tourist attractions is influenced by tourists’
place significant emphasis on the authenticity of calligraphic cultural literacy and interest in calligraphy, indicating
landscapes. The essence of tourism activities is inherently that a specific group of visitors appreciates calligraphic
symbolic, with authenticity being a crucial criterion for landscapes as an art form.
assessing the quality of tourists’ experiences (Yang & Xi, Cultural symbols embody the perception of the non-
2015). Textual analysis reveals that historical physical material functional value of calligraphic landscapes. It is
artifacts and traditional carrier styles leave a more profound usually believed that calligraphic landscapes hold non-
impression on tourists. The preservation of the calligraphic material functional values such as cultural, educational,
landscape’s environment and the presentation of its original esthetic, and heritage tourism values. Tourists’ descriptions
context are vital to maintaining its authenticity. Landscapes often focus on calligraphic activities, historical background,
with well-preserved authenticity can enhance the status and popularity of the history of calligraphy, and
genuineness of a city’s cultural landscape to a certain extent. its status as a World Heritage Site or Chinese Heritage
Calligraphy appreciation focuses on the calligraphic Site. Tourists depicted the strong cultural atmosphere of
features found within the landscape, encompassing font historic districts, the deep historical heritage of the city,
characteristics, skills, and content. This focus highlights the admiration for famous calligraphic works, reflection
crucial role that calligraphic features play in shaping the on the value of art education, and the recognition and
perception of a calligraphic landscape (Zhang et al., 2012). pride in the heritage of calligraphic landscapes. Visitors’
China’s writing system has a history of nearly 3,500 years, judgments of the value of calligraphic landscape heritage
with the evolution of characters from oracle script to often trigger reflections on broader social and cultural
seal script, official script, cursive script, running script, symbols, which in turn influence their local experience
and regular script, often aligning with specific historical and sense of local identity.
periods or dynasties. Each calligraphic font corresponds In general, the perception of calligraphic landscape
to unique esthetic characteristics, with calligraphy works based on heritage value mainly centers on three
encapsulating the skills, emotions, thoughts, and values of dimensions: heritage attributes, calligraphic appreciation,
their creators. and cultural symbols. For calligraphic landscape heritage,
The calligraphic landscape encountered during travel is tourists’ intuitive feelings about the spatial environment
a significant tourist attraction for calligraphy enthusiasts, and attributes of heritage sites form the basis of

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 8 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3825