On February 19, 2025, FBA Seminar Series: “Embodied Effect in Dark Tourism: A New Perspective on Dark Tourism Research” by Prof. Xingyang LYU was hosted by Assistant Professor Stella LIU from the Department of Integrated Resorts and Tourism Management and delivered by Professor Xingyang LYU from School of Business Administration, Southwestern University of Finance and Economics.
Professor Xingyang LYU’s lecture delved into the essential characteristics and psychological mechanisms of “dark tourism”, elucidating the dual connotations of the “darkness” concept: it refers both to the physical low-light conditions in tourism settings and metaphorically to historical memory spaces associated with death and trauma. His research revealed that dark environments trigger unique psychological effects through embodied cognition mechanisms – dim lighting not only intensifies visitors’ sensory acuity but also, through the cross-cultural penetrative power of visual symbols (such as light-dark contrasts in memorial photographs), facilitates universal interpretations of historical suffering among tourists from diverse backgrounds. Following the lecture, Professor LYU shared insights on scientific research and learning, addressing additional questions from students.
