Preserving Intangible Cultural Heritage Authenticity in Cultural Landscapes: A Systematic Review

Authors

  • Lin Xiaofeng Hunan University of Information Technology, Changsha, 410000, Hunan Province, China
  • Nur Huzeima Mohd Hussain Department of Built Environment Studies and Technology, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perak Branch, 32610, Perak, Malaysia
  • Asmalia Che Ahmad Department of Built Environment Studies and Technology, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perak Branch, 32610, Perak, Malaysia
  • Liu Shiyu Hunan University of Information Technology, Changsha, 410000, Hunan Province, China
  • Lu You Nuclear Geological Survey Institute of Hunan Province, Changsha, 410000, Hunan Province, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v23i1.1743

Keywords:

Tourism, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Cultural Landscapes, Authenticity, Systematic Review

Abstract

This paper conducts a comprehensive literature analysis to explore the relationship among tourism, Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), and cultural landscapes, focusing on authenticity. With the global tourism industry's growth and escalating competition, ICH assumes a pivotal role, especially in developing countries where communities highly value it for its authenticity. Simultaneously, studying the interactions among these elements creates opportunities for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage's authenticity, developing authentic tourism experiences, and fostering authenticity in cultural landscapes. This assessment explores how authenticity in intangible cultural aspects is experienced through tourism in cultural landscapes, enhancing development thinking in research and practice. The study examines scholarly publications from 2018 to 2024, emphasising authenticity's protective role in tourism development, cultural landscape construction, and intangible cultural heritage preservation. The review summarises findings, identifies trends, and underscores key ideas. The results emphasise the significance of experiencing and preserving intangible cultural heritage's authenticity in cultural landscapes amid tourism development. Integrating tourism authenticity principles with cultural landscape construction and intangible cultural heritage exhibitions, based on the literature review, offers new perspectives and theoretical support for academic research and practical applications, potentially promoting sustainable tourism, cultural landscape development, and intangible cultural heritage preservation. Furthermore, the review identifies authenticity perception methods and conservation strategies for successfully integrating tourism development with cultural landscape construction for sustainable development amid dynamic changes. Outcomes provide insights for tourism operators, cultural preservation practitioners, and scholars, offering theoretical support for sustainable cultural landscape development. It introduces novel perspectives and theoretical foundations for academic research and practical applications, with the potential to advance sustainable tourism and cultural landscape development.

Author Biographies

  • Lin Xiaofeng, Hunan University of Information Technology, Changsha, 410000, Hunan Province, China

    Lin Xiaofeng is a PhD candidate at the Centre of Graduate Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perak Branch. Her research focuses on cultural landscapes, intangible cultural heritage authenticity, and heritage tourism. She has published work related to authenticity assessment and tourist behavioural responses within cultural heritage environments. She is also affiliated with Hunan University of Information Technology, China. She can be contacted at linxiaofeng19880527@gmail.com.

  • Nur Huzeima Mohd Hussain, Department of Built Environment Studies and Technology, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perak Branch, 32610, Perak, Malaysia

    Nur Huzeima Mohd Hussain is an academic member of the Department of Built Environment Studies and Technology, Facilty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perak Branch. Her research interests include environmental design, cultural landscapes, landscape sociology and sustainable built environments. She has supervised numerous postgraduate students and contributed to various publications in the built environment field. She can be reached at nurhu154@uitm.edu.my.

  • Asmalia Che Ahmad, Department of Built Environment Studies and Technology, College of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perak Branch, 32610, Perak, Malaysia

    Asmalia Che Ahmad, PhD is Associate Professor of the Department of Built Environment Studies and Technology, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perak Branch. Her academic interests include sustainable development, construction safety, green building, project management, and urban studies. She has contributed to various publications in the built environment field and has been involved in supervising research at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She can be contacted at asmalia809@uitm.edu.my asmalia809@uitm.edu.my

  • Liu Shiyu, Hunan University of Information Technology, Changsha, 410000, Hunan Province, China

    Liu Shiyu is affiliated with Hunan University of Information Technology, China. Her work focuses on cultural heritage protection, cultural tourism development, and information technology applications within heritage environments. She has participated in research related to digital cultural resources and authenticity presentation in cultural landscapes. She can be reached at 515365730@qq.com.

  • Lu You, Nuclear Geological Survey Institute of Hunan Province, Changsha, 410000, Hunan Province, China

    Lu You is a researcher at the Nuclear Geological Survey Institute of Hunan Province, China. His research areas include environmental assessment, regional geological studies and resource evaluation. He has contributed to interdisciplinary work involving cultural landscapes, environmental analysis and applied survey methods. He can be contacted at 269843631@qq.com.

     

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Published

01-01-2026

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 1 (2026): Built Environment Journal

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 Lin Xiaofeng, Nur Huzeima Mohd Hussain, Asmalia Che Ahmad, Liu Shiyu, Lu You

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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How to Cite

Preserving Intangible Cultural Heritage Authenticity in Cultural Landscapes: A Systematic Review. (2026). Built Environment Journal, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v23i1.1743

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