Imagining Ancient Towns Through “Seeding Strategy”: Place Symbols and Media Construction on the Xiaohongshu Platform

Focusing on mediatized urban images, this examination of Jiangnan water towns analyzes 1000 user-generated posts on Xiaohongshu through word frequency statistics, content categorization, and textual interpretation to demonstrate how “Seeding Strategy” transforms the symbolic representation and cultural identity of ancient towns. The results reveal that mediatized conceptions of water towns operate within a four-dimensional symbolic framework—natural, cultural, interactive, and Sentiment symbols—shaped by user co-creation and local cultural assets. Through photo-taking and check-ins, users convert historic towns from static geographical locations into dynamic media environments with visual and emotional resonance. Platform algorithms amplify engaging content, reinforcing spatial imaginaries. The concept of “symbolic effects on media platforms” elucidates how local culture is reconstructed and disseminated within digital frameworks, offering theoretical insights and practical recommendations for cultural tourism branding and cross-platform place research in the digital age.