A Study of City Rebranding Based on Cultural Resources: A Case Study of Datong City

초록

Modern urban development increasingly depends on the tourism economy, with cultural and tourism industries serving as key indicators of competitiveness. Historical and cultural resources shape a city’s identity and act as drivers of tourism and urban transformation. Datong, a representative historical city in China, possesses rich resources but faces challenges such as underdevelopment, limited utilization of heritage, weak management systems, and insufficient innovation, which constrain tourism growth and brand dissemination. This study, grounded in cultural capital and city branding theory, proposes a transformation pathway of “cultural capital → brand equity → economic value” and applies PEST, SWOT, and 8P analyses to assess Datong’s development environment. Findings show that key resources like the Yungang Grottoes, ancient city walls, and Mount Heng significantly contribute to brand recognition and tourism growth. However, issues such as product homogenization, weak brand communication, and incomplete service systems hinder the conversion into sustainable brand equity. The study suggests an integrated marketing strategy focused on enhancing brand equity, offering theoretical and practical implications for resource-based cities seeking to transform cultural capital into economic value.

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