Exploring Visitors' Preferences on Miaofeng Mountain's Pilgrimage Path

Walking along the sacred Mount Miaofeng in China, many visitors are drawn to its natural and spiritual beauty. This study focused on the pilgrimage route, aiming to understand what visitors enjoy the most as they journey along. Using a combination of photography and questionnaires, researchers identified eight types of landscape elements that visitors liked, including plants, religious signs, mountains, paths, people, villages, temple events, and facilities. These elements were found at different distances – close, middle, and far. Visitors were grouped based on their motivations: some came for religious reasons, others for fun, and many for a mix of both. Surprisingly, most visitors preferred images of plants and religious signs. They especially liked capturing close-up views of these elements, often found in human settlements. This preference varied depending on why they were visiting. Religious visitors had different tastes from those looking for recreation. This study helps us better understand how people connect with sacred places. It also adds to theories about why people travel, offering insights that could guide how religious tourism sites are protected, managed, and planned.