The Construction and Development of Cultural Heritage in Cultural Tourism Performances: Perspectives of Neo-classical “Structural Functionalism”

Abstract

This paper applies the Neo-classical “Structural Functionalism” to study the mutual construction relationship between cultural heritage and cultural-tourism performance during the integration and development process of culture and tourism. The relationship mainly presents two forms: “macro-structure” and “micro-structure”. The term “macro-structures” refers to the original forms of scenic sites and tourist destinations within the cultural tourism framework, while “micro-structures” denote the embedded structural relationships—such as coexistence, opposition, and interconnection—within these macro-structures, as well as the differentiated relational configurations across various sub-genres of performance. There are three main types of “micro-structures”, namely Landscape-base Live Performances, Immersive Scenario Performances, and Carnival-style Theme Park Performances. The inheritance of cultural heritage within these structures primarily satisfies the three experiential functions: traditional way of viewing, immersive viewing, and consumption while playing. Therefore, the mutual construction between cultural heritage and cultural-tourism performances stems from a dialectical composition that is both “unified” and “diverse”, emerging from shared aesthetic empathy of the era. The core principles of constructing this mutual construction relationship are unified dramatic form, differentiated composition, cultural deconstruction, and modern expression.