Research on the differentiation of perceived dimensions after the trip of the cultural tourism destination based on the urban memory: a case study of Confucius Temple-Qinhuai River Scenic Area of Nanjing.

Drawing on urban memory perspectives, this paper presents an empirical analysis of the different characteristics and dimensions of a representative cultural tourism destination, the Confucius Temple in the Qinhuai River Scenic Area of Nanjing, as it is perceived by hosts and guests, and the mechanisms of their impact. The study was carried out using questionnaires, and in-depth interviews, and the data was statistically analyzed with the aid of a structural equation model. We were able to obtain several results from this study, which were as follows. Perceptions of hosts as well as guests were congruent regarding the material dimensions of the destination in the following descending order: living and leisure facilities; the historical architecture and landscape; traditional gourmet shops; and the remains of the former residence. There were four main factors that were behind these perceptions: the organic integration of modern elements into urban development, the high value that was attributed to the architecture and landscape, a lack of self-generated and external supplies, and a unidimensional and static display of the remains of the former residence. By contrast, the perceptions of intangible elements differed in terms of the order of priority that was attributed to each dimension by the hosts and the guests. To further elaborate on this concept, the perceptions of the hosts regarding these intangible elements indicated the following characteristics in descending order: pop folklore activities; the characteristics of local, traditional specialties; the historical and cultural atmosphere; and the living atmosphere of the streets and alleys. However, the perceptions of the guests regarding these intangible elements indicated a different ordering of these dimensions: the characteristics of local traditional specialties; the historic and cultural atmosphere; pop folklore activities; and the living atmosphere of the streets and alleys. We identified four main factors that likely account for the difference in the perceptions between the hosts and the guests, which included: (1) the weakened carriers and modes of protecting and inheriting the intangible cultural heritage; (2) the distinctive local flavor of traditional cuisine; (3) the accelerated process of culture acculturation driven by economic benefits; (4) the impacts of the "squeeze" on the environment of the street and alleys. Culture is of importance because it is not only the blood of a nation but also the spiritual support of the nation s people. As a prism of time and space, which can refract urban memory, the historical cultural block of the Confucius Temple has witnessed the fluctuating cycles of Nanjing city over an epoch that covers six dynasties. Therefore, it has particular value for preserving urban memory and the rich local culture against a background of "feature crisis" of "one side for thousands of cities" that is growing in intensity. Because of this value, more attention should be given to respecting history and preserving memory through the retrieval and inheritance of the deep urban memory that is stored in cultural tourism destinations. This could make an important contribution to enhancing the wealth of culture and to the accelerated development of tourism, thereby facilitating a deep confluence of culture and tourism.