Augmented reality and tourists’ purchase intention for intangible cultural heritage products: A two-study investigation of Shu embroidered fans

As a form of Chinese intangible cultural heritage, Shu embroidery faces increasing challenges in balancing traditional aesthetic preservation with contemporary market commercialization. Augmented Reality (AR) technology, with its distinctive advantage of integrating virtual and real elements, can support the innovative visual presentation of traditional crafts. This study examines how AR-enhanced visual presentation influences tourists’ purchase intention for Shu embroidered fans. Two independent quantitative studies, including a field experiment (Study 1) and a questionnaire survey (Study 2), were conducted. The survey collected 452 valid responses through convenience sampling in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, an area with profound Shu embroidery cultural roots, for structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis; the experiment randomly assigned 386 tourists (198 in the AR display group and 188 in the conventional display group) at two Chengdu tourist sites for independent-samples t-tests. The findings show that AR-enhanced visual presentation is positively associated with tourists’ purchase intention; perceived aesthetic value and perceived authenticity exhibit bootstrap-supported indirect associations in this process; and cultural engagement moderates the relationship between AR-enhanced visual presentation and perceived aesthetic value. The experimental comparisons further indicated significantly higher perceived aesthetic value, perceived authenticity, and purchase intention in the AR display group than in the conventional display group, with large effect sizes (Cohen’s d ranging from 1.28 to 1.53). These findings offer theoretical and practical implications for the digital display of Shu embroidered fans and similar traditional cultural products.