Objective As a new Chinese model for the conservation and use of cultural heritage and resources in the new era, national cultural park emphasizes the integration and communication of heritage sites. Cultural heritage interpretation as an effective way for networking and storytelling is exactly the reason why it is so valued. The Great Wall and other large-scale linear cultural heritage sites are significant resources of national cultural parks. They are usually characterized by large spatial areas, similar compositional units and segmented management modes. The improvement of systemic interpretation, ability of cultural transmission and attractiveness of tourism are common needs and challenges for them. At present, there is not a systematic planning method available for integrating heritage interpretation as a whole. Current researches on relevant international cases mostly pay more attention to specific strategies rather than planning process and methodology. This paper summarized a method for building an interpretation framework based on the Great Wall in the context of national cultural park. The method aims at addressing interpretation issues in the practice of the Great Wall and other linear historical relics, and improving the interpretation of the Great Wall National Cultural Park.
Methods This research adopts a case study approach of Hadrian's Wall, a World Heritage Site in the UK. The research conducts a comprehensive analysis of the Hadrian's Wall based on the official interpretation document, Hadrian's Wall Interpretation Framework, as well as related literature and on-site observation data. The Hadrian's Wall is selected for the following reasons. 1) Hadrian's Wall and the Great Wall of China belong to the same subtype of linear cultural heritage, namely linear historical relics with similar interpretation needs. 2) The case can provide an entire planning process and detailed research information. 3) The interpretation practice of the Hadrian's Wall has been successful under the instruction of the aforesaid documents.
Results This research summarizes the process of building an interpretation framework for large-scale linear cultural heritage represented by the Great Wall, which can be divided the planning stage and implementation stage. There are three steps in the planning stage. 1) The pre-research step consists of desk research and audience research sessions. This step mainly aims to understand audience preferences and requirements, and to identify and record the current interpretation issues and available interpretation assets for each site. In this step, such information as the types of assets to be investigated, the population groups to be interviewed, the methods for audience research, and the key issues involved in the research outline should be introduced. 2) The writing step aims to draft relevant contents of the interpretation framework, such as interpretation principles, themes, methods and media, as well as infrastructure and services. The interpretation principles intend to guide the direction of improvement, for which multiple sources of original materials and the qualitative research method of grounded theory for deriving principles from such materials are to be discussed in this step. The themes aim to coordinate and arrange the interpretation content for each site, for which the common structure features, building steps, content sources, and key points for mapping themes to sites with respect to a method system are to be introduced. The methods, media, and infrastructure are used to directly improve visitors' experience, for which specific measures well-received should be summarized. 3) The testing and modification step aims to point out stakeholders and interview questions for collecting feedback for purpose of draft revision. The remaining two steps are included in the implementation stage. 4) The publication and implementation step aims to transmit the framework formed to staff and the public and put the framework into practice. 5) The evaluation and promotion step is for long-term adjustment after the framework is formed.
Conclusion First, this research discusses the positive role of the framework interpretation method introduced herein in the interpretation of relevant heritage sites in China. 1) The research provides suggestions for building an interpretation system for the Great Wall Heritage Site and the Great Wall National Cultural Park. The research briefed the current implementation progress and the subject of the construction and conservation plan for the Great Wall National Cultural Park. The development requirements include enhancing the cultural context and characteristics of the target region and revealing the relationship between other cultural resources and the Great Wall culture. The aforesaid requirements may be satisfied by the following methods. On one hand, build an interpretation framework based on the Great Wall culture at the urban scale, and clarify the positioning of the distinctive themes and targeted audience of the interpretation framework in a more extensive system, while incorporating more local cultural tourism resources into the system; on the other hand, have the transmission relationship between the higher and lower planning levels considered as a whole. 2) This research provides suggestions for improving current practical issues with respect to the Great Wall and other large-scale linear cultural heritage, including strengthening the links between sites and related cultural resources at the level of cultural significance and tourist traffic, highlighting the characteristics of each site, and improving attractiveness to tourists. 3) This research evolves the viewpoints of staff, planners and other practitioners of heritage sites to inspire broader consensus and partnership. Second, subsequent similar researches are supposed to be conducted along the following three directions: Investigate the implementation effects, evaluation and optimization of the interpretation framework adopted in the case of Hadrian's Wall; select sample areas of the Great Wall National Cultural Park to build an interpretation system, and keep improving the method; discuss the applicability of the method to other large-scale linear cultural heritage and national cultural parks.
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