From screen to society: a three-stage media impact model of architectural heritage conservation in the Shadowless Tower

Amid the growing influence of visual culture on public perception, cinematic art increasingly shapes how architectural heritage is recognized, emotionally internalized, and socially mobilized. Using The Shadowless Tower (2023) and the White Pagoda of Miaoying Temple in Beijing as a non-touristic focal case, this study proposes and operationalizes a three-stage media impact model – mediated representation, cognitive & affective transformation, and affective mobilization – to explain how film repositions built heritage from scenographic background to a shared cultural anchor. Drawing on a multilingual corpus of 45 long-form reviews (20 Chinese, 20 English, 5 Japanese) and manual coding with keyword matrices, the analysis shows (i) how spatial framing and symbolic imagery enable visibility, (ii) how memory, identity, and affect drive audience – heritage linkages, and (iii) how these linkages trigger discourse and nascent conservation intent. Cross-cultural contrasts clarify where perception and interpretation diverge across linguistic communities. The findings contribute to heritage studies by specifying affective pathways through which film fosters cultural resonance and public awareness, advancing the sustainable safeguarding of historic environments in line with SDG 11.4 and informing assessments related to Outstanding Universal Value (OUV). The model offers actionable implications for heritage communication, policy outreach, and education.