Socio-spatial dynamics of rural heritage tourism in China: mobilities, interactions, and the construction of rural space

Rural heritage tourism is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the global tourism industry, providing opportunities for economic revitalisation, cultural promotion and heritage preservation (Shen et al., 2019). In China, this process is influenced by state-led policies and local practices, producing villages that are both living communities and tourist destinations (Wang et al., 2013; Zhu et al., 2023). As UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Hongcun and Xidi present a unique socio-spatial complexity: they are not static historical relics, but highly regulated, living vernacular spaces where tradition clan cultures, strict conservation policies, and global tourist gazes intensely intersect. In these settings, the institutional preservation of heritage imposes a distinctive spatial politics, establishing a continuous tension between the curated aesthetic demands of the tourism market and the organic, everyday routines of the local residents. This study examines the socio-spatial dynamics of rural heritage tourism in these two villages. Three questions guide the research: (1) how tourist mobility is organised and how it shapes tourists' engagement with people and space; (2) how tourists and residents interact across different spatial settings; (3) how rural spaces are constructed in the context of tourism. By integrating tourist mobility, host-guest interaction, and spatial construction, this study approaches rural heritage tourism as a socio-spatial process rather than economic or cultural phenomenon. The research adopts a mixed-methods design integrating GPS trajectory tracking with ethnographic methods. Data were collected through 384 GPS trajectories, 59 interviews with tourists, villagers, and stakeholders, and extended participant observation between May and October 2023. GPS data were analysed in ArcGIS Pro to identify spatiotemporal patterns of tourist movements. Qualitative data coded in NVivo illustrate how encounters occur, how spatial boundaries are negotiated, and how tourism reshapes everyday village life. This methodology integrates patterned behaviours with experiential narratives, offering a comprehensive understanding of the socio-spatial dynamics at the study sites. Empirical findings show that tourist mobility is shaped by both regulation and improvisation. Although tourists largely follow the designated routes toward major attractions, there are instances where they diverge into quieter or less structured areas, allowing for more individualised and spontaneous experiences (see Chapter 4). Rhythms of moving and pausing influence opportunities for interaction, as short, rapid visits limit engagement while longer pauses enable more emotional or relational contact. Host-guest interactions vary across spatial settings (see Chapter 5). Frontstage spaces foster service-oriented and performance-based encounters. Hybrid spaces allow more personalised but negotiated exchanges. Backstage spaces remain selectively accessible as villagers protect privacy and sustain everyday routines. At the spatial scale of the village, rural space is reconstructed through interconnected symbolic, material, and social processes (see Chapter 6), including rural imaginaries, heritage governance, infrastructural interventions, aesthetic commercialisation, and the everyday practices through which villagers adapt, resist, or reinterpret tourism. This study makes three contributions. Theoretically, it advances an integrated framework that conceptualises rural heritage tourism as a socio-spatial process examined through the interconnected lenses of mobility, interaction, and spatial construction. Empirically, it offers grounded insights from rural China, demonstrating how rural spaces are continually (re)constructed by heritage governance, market forces, and everyday negotiation. Methodologically, it illustrates the value of combining GPS trajectory tracking with ethnography to capture patterned behaviours and lived experiences. In conclusion, the study shows that rural heritage tourism in China is a dynamic process constituted by embodied mobilities, evolving host-guest relations, and the ongoing construction of rural space. Analysing Hongcun and Xidi as lived communities rather than static heritage sites reveals how rurality is imagined, reproduced, and contested under conditions of intensified tourism development. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the socio-spatial dynamics of rural transformation and the evolving relationship between tourism and rurality in contemporary China.