The “original face”: Visitors’ experience in Buddhist pilgrimage tourism through the lens of Zen thought

This study examines the visitors' experience while participating in the Dachaotai in Mount Wutai through the prism of Chinese Zen philosophy. Data was collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, and online texts. This study subsequently analyzed the data within the framework of the means-end chain model through which four attributes, six consequences, and three values were identified. The results showed that an attribute-consequence-value hierarchical value map of the original face could be constructed, and the formation process of visitors' original face was deduced. The value stratum of the experience regarding visitors' original face primarily encompassed “Free flow of thoughts”, “Being in one's own mind”, and “Epiphany”,which could be interpreted within the principal tenets of Zen Buddhism. The research findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge about Buddhist pilgrimage tourism and bridge the gap that exists between Chinese Zen philosophy and tourist experience.