To address the gap in systematic bibliometric analysis and review of sustainable development in cultural heritage, this study first outlines the origins of the sustainability discourse and the research context within the cultural heritage field. Building upon quantitative and visual outputs from Web of Science (WOS) and CNKI bibliometric analyses, it examines the evolutionary trajectory of research trends. Subsequently, by comparing high-impact and representative literature, it examines key characteristics in content, theory, methodology and cultural context. Through identifying limitations and future research directions, this study aims to advance the long-term development of cultural heritage sustainability research, fostering synergistic progress in both theoretical exploration and practical application.
Lin et al. (2026) studied this question.