Work

A Lightweight WebGIS Visualization Platform for Historical and Cultural Heritage Based on Multi-Source Data Fusion

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The digital preservation and dissemination of historical and cultural heritage is a pivotal area at the intersection of digital humanities and geographic information science. To address the challenges of multi-source heterogeneity, limited dimensionality, and inadequate public engagement, this study designed and implemented an interactive visualization platform using modern Web technologies. Taking the Leshan Confucian Temple (religious heritage) and the former site of Wuhan University (educational heritage) as case studies, the platform integrates four types of heterogeneous data (geospatial coordinates, architectural attributes, visitor behavioral records, and multimedia imagery) into a unified spatiotemporal information model. Core technical implementations are built upon a lightweight front-end stack including the Gaode Map JavaScript API for geographic visualization, ECharts for dynamic statistical charting, and the Tailwind CSS framework for a fully responsive front-end interface. Key interactive features encompass linked map markers with contextual information windows, user-driven chart filtering, and paginated loading of cultural relic cards. Evaluation results demonstrate that the platform achieves cross-device response delay ≤3 s, supports spatially grounded, dynamic, and presentation of cultural heritage information, and attains a System Usability Scale (SUS) score of 82.5. This work offers a lightweight, scalable technical solution for advancing digital recording and public communication of historical and cultural heritage, while contributing to the theoretical discourse on spatial narrative and multi-source data integration in digital humanities.

Source: ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information

DOI: 10.3390/ijgi15050184

Authors: Zixuan Liu, Yangge Tian, Qingwen Xiong, Duanning Chen

Institution: Wuhan University

Language: English

Topic: Geographic Information Systems Studies

Subfield: Geography, Planning and Development

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,292