Research on Cultural Production Mechanisms and Activation Design of China Rural Marketplace Spaces : A Case Study of 'weichuan Market' in Henan

Currently, China rural marketplace are extensively experiencing a loss of cultural authenticity in the process of cultural tourism development, where traditional cultural connotations are simplified into performative elements, resulting in the disconnection of spatial contexts. To address this issue, this study takes Weichuan Marketplace in Henan as a case study and creatively integrates spatial production theory and cultural gene theory, constructing a theoretical analytical framework of “three-dimensional spatial analysis → cultural gene identification → coordination and contradiction analysis” to analyze its spatial cultural production mechanisms. The identified 16 spatial cultural genes showed differentiated distribution characteristics across three dimensions: representations of space, spatial practice, and representational space, thereby forming three types: cross-spatial coordination type, spatial differentiation type, and peripheral-silent type. The coordination mechanism of spatial cultural production manifests as a self-reinforcing cycle achieved through the coexistence of multiple values and multi-agent cooperation, while the contradiction mechanism stems from conflicts in value logic and disagreements among stakeholders. Based on this mechanism analysis, differentiated cultural gene activation design strategies are proposed to provide design foundations for sustainable development in the cultural revitalization of rural marketplaces.