Vol. 3 No. 5
In Progress

Research Article

Virtual–Real Symbiosis in Platform Communication: A Qualitative Study of Gamified Digital Heritage

Published 2026-08-19

  • Kun Fu
    • ,
  • Fangfang Liu
    • ,
  • Yue Li
    • ,
  • Yi Ding

Kun Fu
Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University image/svg+xml

Fangfang Liu
Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University image/svg+xml

Yue Li
Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University image/svg+xml

Yi Ding
Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University image/svg+xml

Abstract

High-fidelity games increasingly function as communication environments for cultural heritage. Taking Black Myth: Wukong as a qualitative case, this article examines how virtual heritage spaces are recognised, experienced, and discussed across gameplay and social media. The study draws on embodied participant observation and online ethnographic materials from Bilibili, Weibo, and Rednote. The findings show that place naming and architectural correspondence make virtual scenes traceable; repeated navigation turns them into remembered fields of action; and platform users transform this familiarity into practices of comparison, route sharing, and cultural interpretation. These practices differ by platform: Bilibili foregrounds spatial explanation and player experience, Rednote favours visual comparison and check-in narratives, while Weibo links individual expressions to public discussions of regional culture and tourism. The article argues that virtual–real symbiosis is a situated process of meaning-making rather than an automatic conversion from media exposure to travel.

Keywords

Gamified digital heritage, Embodied communication, Online ethnography, Platform communication, Virtual–real symbiosis

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