Public Perception of South China Historical Trails: A Case Study of Xijing Historical Trail

Abstract

The South China Historical Trails are being upgraded as a key aspect of new policies towards rural vitalization and targeted poverty alleviation. As an important example of linear cultural heritage, it is widely examined by local and international scholars. However, the effectiveness of their adaptive reuse is rarely evaluated due to the trails’extensive distribution, different construction contexts, and the diversity of users. In this study, the multiple benefits of adaptively reusing Xijing Historical Trail were investigated from the perspective of public perception through a case study based on the Ruyuan Section. A multiple linear regression model was applied. It is assumed that the public perception of the multiple benefits from the adaptive reuse of the South China Historical Trails would correspond with the planning objectives and expectations. Public perception was divided into three dimensions: Cultural inheritance, site usage, and economic promotion. A questionnaire survey based on a Likert scale was conducted at fixed places, supplemented by structured household questionnaire interviews in the village. A total of 230 questionnaires were collected. Results demonstrated that respondents’overall evaluation of the South China Historical Trails was positive, but they only had a vague understanding of specific functions such as cultural inheritance and economic promotion. There is a significant positive correlation between respondents’overall satisfaction and cognition of multiple benefits. According to further multiple linear regression model fitting, the regression equation between multiple benefit perception and overall satisfaction of respondents has explanatory power. As the linear heritage corridor and cultural path that carry special historical and cultural values, the South China Historical Trails are different from other recreational trails. However, this study found that site usage makes a greater contribution to improvement in respondents’satisfaction than cultural inheritance and economic promotion. To fully strengthen the cultural inheritance benefits of the South China Historical Trails, their functions of historical protection, cultural education, and recreation should be fully integrated to improve the site usage experience’s comfort and interest. Meanwhile, it is necessary to explore effective ways of economic promotion in conditional and potential areas. In addition, the adaptive reuse of such heritage requires long-term, comprehensive, and multistakeholder participation and continuous investment. From this perspective, the adaptive reuse of the Ruyuan Section of Xijing Historical Trail as the South China Historical Trails is still in the early exploration stage. The full realization of its cultural, economic, and social benefits must be verified over a longer period. Based on this analysis, some specific improvement suggestions were proposed for the Ruyuan Section of Xijing Historical Trail: (1) Strengthen status maintenance, adopt an asset-light investment strategy, and optimize the historical trail network continuously. (2) Deepen historical exploration and show local characteristics by combining with the culture of the Yao Nationality. (3) Strengthen industrial planning, promote multiple participation, and perfect the relevant industrial chains. Moreover, some potential goals for the overall adaptive reuse of the South China Historical Trails were proposed: (1) Create activity-friendly designs and optimize the space by orienting to different activity preferences. (2) Implement low-cost, easy-maintenance, and inclusive strategies oriented towards sustainable long-term governance. (3) Explore historical connotations, highlight cultural heritage, and ensure sustained investment in fundamental research.