Historical change and spatial relation of cultural memory in Guangzhou from the perspective of heritage representation

Abstract Cultural memory fundamentally shapes urban collective identity, , yet it is seldom quantified at fine spatial scales. This study proposes the Heritage–Memory Symbiosis Loop (HMSL) as an analytical framework to examine Guangzhou, a historic trading hub in China with 446 state-listed heritage units. Each heritage unit is systematically classified within a “two representations–six memory-space” matrix, and a Cultural Memory Index (CMI) is computed and visualized as a spatialfield-energy surface. Subsequently, Kernel-density estimation,  Moran’s I, and LISA analyses illuminate memory hotspots centered around the Yuexiu–Liwan core, while revealing the attenuation of spirituality-based memories in fringe districts undergoing gentrification. Field-energy gradients underpin the delineation of three protection zones: high-intensity “living museums” along dynastic trade routes, medium-intensity multipurpose belts, and low-intensity rural nodes. The CMI map constitutes the first point-level quantification of cultural memory for Guangzhou, elucidates the interplay between material and spiritual domains within the human–land system, and supplies a replicable methodology—including heritage inventory, memory zoning, and field-energy mapping— tailored for conservation strategies in rapidly urbanizing Asian cities.