Evaluation of Night Tourism Landscapes Based on Aesthetic Theory: A Case Study of Donggung Palace and Wolji in Korea

Abstract

Night tourism is increasingly recognized as a strategy to revitalize cultural heritage sites and nighttime urban economies. However, limited research has examined the structured mechanism through which illuminated heritage landscapes translate physical design elements into higher-order psychological evaluation. Drawing on Nicolai Hartmann's aesthetic theory, this study develops and empirically tests a four-stage model (Design → Form → Experience → Psyche) using survey data from visitors to Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond. Structural equation modeling reveals a sequential pathway in which design shapes spatial form, which influences emotional experience and ultimately consolidates higher-order psychological meaning. Results provide empirical support for the proposed pathway. By operationalizing a philosophically grounded layered aesthetic framework within an empirical tourism context, this study advances tourism aesthetics research and offers practical implications for heritage night tourism landscape design.