Historical culture and tourist perception: a social network analysis of spatial structure and auspicious symbolism in Minnan village

The relationship between historical culture and tourists’ perceptions is key to sustainable heritage tourism. Wulin Village, blending Chinese, Nanyang, and Western cultures, offers a unique case. This study employs social network analysis (SNA) to develop a three-dimensional “architecture space—auspicious culture—perceived image” network model, exploring their interconnections and impact on heritage conservation and tourism. Findings show tourists value architectural style and history but are aware auspicious cultural patterns, especially online. Offline tourists link Minnan culture with emotions; online tourists perceive it through architecture. The fusion of auspicious patterns with Western architectural elements reflects cultural diversity, boosting tourists’ cultural identity and emotional ties. The model identifies key heritage areas, guiding targeted protection and planning. As a novel quantitative framework, it offers broad international applicability for studying cultural heritage and tourism, providing new insights and promoting sustainable global heritage conservation.