Historic landscape images and contemporary spatial practices at religious heritage sites: evidence from Mount Wutai, China

A pronounced dislocation between historic landscape images and contemporary spatial practices was identified at Mount Wutai, revealing that sites with strong symbolic significance but interrupted ritual continuity attract limited engagement. Conversely, areas with active religious practices maintain both symbolic and experiential prominence. The study argues that the persistence of sacred landscape meaning relies on continued enactment of landscape practices, not just material heritage. Researchers spatially interpreted historical textual representations and compared them with contemporary movement patterns and dwell times to explore this dynamic. This relational understanding of image, practice, and sacredness offers implications for managing religious and cultural landscapes.

Bai, X., Ji, T., Jiao, X., & Sakai, T. (2026). Historic landscape images and contemporary spatial practices at religious heritage sites: evidence from Mount Wutai, China. Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2026.2721906