Museums are increasingly challenged to distinguish themselves within the competitive leisure market while fulfilling their public service roles by engaging diverse audiences and fostering meaningful visitor experiences (Komarac, Ozretic-Dosen, and Skare, 2017; Aroles and Morrell, 2024). Alongside core exhibitions, modern museums now offer augmented services including digital content, commercial facilities, and community programmes (Kefi et al., 2024; Komarac, 2014; Vaux Halliday and Astafyeva, 2014), with visitor experiences emerging as a critical factor in shaping engagement and satisfaction (Schuch et al., 2018). However, the factors influencing how China’s distinct sociocultural context shapes domestic visitors’ museum experiences remain poorly understood, as existing scholarship remains predominantly rooted in Western-centric frameworks.
This study addresses this gap by examining how place identity and cultural values shape Chinese domestic visitors’ experiences of the museum servicescape, with a specific focus on the Chengdu Museum. Drawing on Falk’s (2008, 2011) identity framework, servicescape theory (Bitner, 1992), and perspectives on cultural values (Roccas and Sagiv, 2010; Filieri and Mariani, 2021), the research develops a conceptual model to explore how place identity, cultural values, and museum visitor experience intersect. The study employs qualitative methods—semi-structured interviews and focus groups—with thematic analysis to interpret visitor narratives.
The findings identify four forms of place identity among Chinese visitors: Chengduese (local residents of Chengdu), Sichuanese (residents of Sichuan Province), New Chengduese (migrants from other provinces to Chengdu), and non-local visitors (tourists from outside Sichuan). These identities exhibit a bidirectional relationship with the museum’s core exhibition services: alignment between exhibitions and place identity enhances emotional connection, which in turn reinforces visitors’ sense of belonging and identity. In contrast, cultural values such as respect for authority and striving for harmony shape visitors’ interactions with the servicescape in a unidirectional manner, positioning them as passive recipients of curated narratives rather than active co-creators—a dynamic that contrasts with Western models of participatory engagement (Shoukat and Ramkissoon, 2022; Dion and Borraz, 2017).
This study offers two key theoretical contributions. First, it expands the conceptualisation of place identity by uncovering context-specific forms in China, challenging Western-centric interpretations (Palmer, 2005; Rosenbaum and Montoya, 2007; Hahn, 2023). Second, it reconceptualises servicescape theory by foregrounding intangible cultural values—such as harmony and authority—as key mediators of the visitor experience, extending beyond traditional emphasis on physical design and layout (Bitner, 1992). By integrating identity theory, services marketing, and consumer experience literature, this research develops a culturally grounded understanding of museum visitor experience in China.
