Correlation between soundscape and sense of culture in historic public space

Soundscapes, as part of cultural heritage, have attracted attention for their role in crafting atmospheres and fostering a sense of place. It is still unclear how soundscapes and the sense of culture interlink within historic public spaces. This research explores how soundscape elements influence the sense of culture in historic towns. Twenty-five typical railway-type historic town public spaces in northern China are selected as examples. We restored the field situation in the laboratory. Through correlation analysis in SPSS, we analyzed the relationships between soundscape elements (encompassing objective environmental attributes and subjective perception) and cultural senses. The result shows: 1) Natural sounds, people sounds, and cultural activities sounds like music/shows significantly influence the sense of culture in historical spaces along the Chinese Eastern Railway (CER). 2)Calm and stable sound environments contribute to creating a cultural atmosphere. 3)Pleasure and eventful sounds strengthen people's connection to culture. 4)Enclosed spaces, pedestrian-friendly environments, and bustling crowds enhance the cultural ambience. 5)Visual perception correlates more strongly with the sense of culture than auditory evaluation. This research provides valuable insights for enhancing cultural senses in historic towns through soundscape design.