Qian Xie’s research while affiliated with Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts and other places

Recent research has primarily focused on the genealogical relationship between ancestral temple painting and its spatial carriers, highlighting a shift in perspective from artistry to symbolism to kinship. While some scholars have noted the influence of ritual culture on architectural painting, few have explored its kinship relationship with architectural carriers. By incorporating relational sociology theory, this study chronologically reviews events influencing the formation of ancestral temple ritual culture, constructs a developmental model, and conducts case studies on the ethicality of architectural painting art, thus establishing a relational sociology analysis framework. Findings: (1) Ancestral temple architectural painting exhibits the ethicality and educational value inherent in Confucian concepts; (2) Themes such as immortal life, literati and scholars, and common folk simplicity highlight the spiritual and material kinship of ancestral temple painting. The vocabulary used in titles such as "He (rapprochement-和)", "He (reunification-合)", "wealth (财)", "happiness (乐)", "blessing (福)", and "longevity (寿)" reveals a positive transmission of Confucian values; (3) The five main artistic expressions of ancestral temple painting are metaphor through objects (借物喻意), the personification of events (以人喻事), using the past to illuminate the present (借古喻今), expressing aspirations through objects (托物喻志), and pun-based symbolism (谐音寓意); (4) The decorative elements of ancestral temples correspond to the forms of their painting art, with the former extending the space of the tomb sacrificial system and the latter representing artistic inheritance. The development of ancestral temple architecture has formed dual developmental contexts centered on ritual culture and supplemented by academic dissemination, fluctuating with the status of Confucianism. The relational sociology model shows that the political aspects of ancestral temples form a sub-lineage of their ritual culture, closely linked to reforms in the educational system and transformations in building functions, further influencing architectural form and decorative art.

As a significant trade item on the ancient Silk Road, the evolution of mug shapes represents a confluence of Eastern and Western economic history and cultural-artistic exchanges, also reflecting the flourishing export culture of Guangzhou. This paper analyzes the functional and social factors influencing the morphological changes of Lingnan mugs from 1616 to 1949 from the perspective of quantitative typological analysis. The overall design trend of these mugs transitioned from complex to simple, enhancing user comfort, while variations in mug scale reflect the diversity of consumer classes and regional drinking cultures. Among the 30 mugs analyzed, the average capacity was 356ml, with a range of 1588ml. Common shapes included cylindrical bodies and ear-shaped handles. Morphologically, the belly of the mugs transformed from arc-barrel bodies (emphasizing heat retention) to bulbous bodies, and eventually to cylindrical bodies (combining heat retention, practicality, and economy), with handles also showing signs of East-West integration. The analysis of the mug body’ s inclination, with handle-side junction angles ranging from 34° to 53° and wall-side junction angles from 50° to 90°, indicates that these features are associated with stability in placement, aesthetic design, and practicality in liquid containment. These morphological evolutions reflect genuine responses to market demands and advancements in production technology, manifesting as products of market orientation and societal needs. By measuring changes in morphology, scale, volume, and external contour curves, this paper addresses how social factors shape material morphology in an academic context.

Given the complex interplay between economic and cultural–historical factors, this paper explores scene perception and its mechanism in individual and collective cognition of historical commercial streets. Based on a perception model constructed from scene theory, the study utilizes user scene experience feedback from Beijing Road, a commercial pedestrian street in Guangzhou. It conducts a systematic assessment using hierarchical analysis (AHP) across three dimensions: authenticity, theatricality, and legitimacy. The findings reveal the following: (1) according to visitors, traditional cuisine, cultural and creative arts, and Lingnan’s intangible cultural heritage received low ratings; (2) historical relics and traditional cuisine are dominant factors, highlighting public attention to cultural heritage, but the role of historical–cultural characteristics and festival activities is relatively marginalized; (3) cultural–historical relics and traditional cuisine are the leading factors that contribute to an authentic experience, while historical context and festival activities constitute secondary factors; (4) cultural landscapes and arts are central to theatrical experiences, with modern visual elements playing a lesser role; (5) diversified commercial formats and public services are the core factors influencing legitimacy experience, reflecting the role of market diversity and policy orientation in building consumer trust. The design of historical and cultural streets should prioritize the preferences of those experiencing them to promote cultural identity and historical continuity. Additionally, the synergy between commercial diversity and policy orientation should be strategically emphasized to form a business ecosystem supporting sustainable development. Future commercial street renewals should focus on the key role of visual narrative in shaping brand culture. This paper offers insights into the dynamic process of constructing scene experience from perspectives of spatial materialization and emotional empowerment to cultural identity, providing references for strategies in historical place renewal.