Sacred Storytelling in The Tourism Development of The Marble Mountains: Insights from Field Data

Abstract

This article examines visitor experiences at the Marble Mountains in the context of a gradual decline in the site’s sacred depth. In recent years, field observations suggest that some visitor behaviors at the site appear visually oriented and time-limited, including rapid movement, short stops, and photography-focused interactions, while deeper engagement with cultural and spiritual meanings remains uneven. The study is based on a data collection process carried out continuously over a two-month period (from July to September 2025), with the main on-site fieldwork conducted on 13 September 2025 at nine locations on Thủy Sơn, using participant observation, on-site note-taking, and informal conversations with local stakeholders. Findings indicate that the system of caves, pagodas, and legends at the Marble Mountains contains rich layers of storytelling, while the local community-including monks, vendors, and site staff-naturally assumes the role of “community curators” who maintain and transmit sacred narratives. Based on these insights, the article proposes a sacred storytelling model grounded in living heritage approaches to enhance experiential depth and support sustainable cultural tourism development at the Marble Mountains. The findings also suggest future implications for technology-supported heritage interpretation, in which digital tools may support, rather than replace, community-based sacred storytelling.