Influence Path of Perceived Authenticity in Heritage Site Restoration and Display on Public Perceived Value

Objective In Chinese archaeological site parks, restoration displays are an important means of conveying the historical value of sites to the public. However, how different types of restoration display approaches influence visitors’ perceptions of the functional and emotional value of a site, as well as the underlying psychological mechanisms through which these effects occur, remains unclear. In particular, the role of perceived authenticity—a core concept in heritage conservation—has not yet been fully clarified in the context of site display. This study therefore uses the Daming Palace National Archaeological Site Park as a representative case to construct and empirically test an integrated influence path model that systematically examines how multiple restoration display strategies affect public perceived value through perceived authenticity. Methods Based on the Stimulus−Organism−Response (SOR) theoretical framework, this study treats restoration displays as external stimuli, defines visitors’ perceived authenticity as the internal psychological response, and considers perceived value as the outcome variable. Drawing on literature related to heritage interpretation and authenticity theory, restoration display approaches are categorized into five types: physical, virtual, hybrid, intentional, and emerging restoration displays. Perceived authenticity is measured from two dimensions—content authenticity and experiential authenticity—while perceived value includes both functional value and emotional value. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of visitors at the Daming Palace National Archaeological Site Park. A structural equation model was used to test the theoretical model, and the bootstrap method was applied to examine the mediating effect of perceived authenticity. Results The results show that all types of restoration displays significantly enhance visitors’ perceived authenticity at the site. Among them, emerging restoration displays exert the strongest effect on content authenticity, whereas intentional displays show the strongest effect on experiential authenticity, indicating that symbolic and abstract display forms are more likely to stimulate visitors’ perception of historical atmosphere. In terms of perceived value, both physical and emerging restoration displays have significant positive effects on functional and emotional value; virtual restoration displays significantly influence emotional value but have a relatively weak effect on functional value; hybrid restoration displays and intentional displays show no significant direct effects on either dimension of perceived value. Further analysis indicates that perceived authenticity has significant positive effects on both functional value and emotional value, revealing its central mediating role in visitors’ value judgments. Moreover, perceived authenticity partially mediates the relationship between different display approaches and perceived value. Specifically, the influence of virtual, hybrid, and intentional restoration displays on perceived value operates mainly through the perceived authenticity pathway (as their direct effects are not significant), whereas physical and emerging restoration displays exert both direct effects and indirect effects mediated by perceived authenticity. Conclusion This study demonstrates that different types of restoration display strategies show heterogeneous effects in enhancing visitors’ perceived value, and that perceived authenticity serves as the key psychological mechanism linking display strategies with the public’s cognitive and emotional responses. Incorporating perceived authenticity into a multi-path analytical model not only enriches the theoretical perspective of heritage interpretation but also provides empirical evidence for differentiated restoration display design. From a practical perspective, virtual displays should be optimized by enriching display content and improving operational usability; hybrid displays should enhance technical integration and narrative coherence; and intentional displays should balance abstract creativity with information readability. Overall, strengthening perceived authenticity can help improve visitors’ learning outcomes, emotional experiences, and cultural identity. The findings provide practical guidance for managers of archaeological site parks seeking to balance heritage conservation, cultural interpretation, and visitor experience in the context of digitalization.