The Impact of Visitor Satisfaction on Soundscape Design in Buddhist Temples – A Case Study of the Square around Taiping Xingguo Temple Pagoda

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This study investigates how visitor satisfaction affects soundscape design and practice in Buddhist temples, with a focus on the square of Taiping Xingguo Temple as a case. This study uses a mixed method to collect and analyze soundscape data, categorizing the soundscape into natural sound, Buddhist sound, human sound, and noise. The objectives of this study are delineated as follows: 1. To record and analyze the sound sources surrounding Taiping Xingguo Temple Pagoda. 2. To evaluate the influence of soundscape elements on visitor satisfaction at Taiping Xingguo Temple Pagoda. 3. To conceptualize a soundscape design for Taiping Xingguo Temple Pagoda that may serve as a model for other temples.

The results of this study reveal that: 1. The soundscape elements consist of four types and most respondents find the traffic noise to be excessively loud. The soundscape of Taiping Xingguo Temple ought to facilitate meditation and relaxation, convey Buddhist teachings and culture, enhance faith and identity, and augment the soundscape’s richness. 2. The elements of the soundscape significantly impact visitor satisfaction. Sounds emanating from Buddhist rituals and the natural environment exert the most substantial positive effect, whereas auditory disturbances negatively affect satisfaction to a considerable degree. This research advocates for augmenting the presence of Buddhist and natural sounds, coupled with the attenuation of noise, to enhance visitors’ perceptions. 3. The design of the soundscape should be strategically focused on reinforcing the temple’s spiritual ambiance. This entails maintaining and honoring its historical and cultural integrity, accentuating its Buddhist essence, establishing balance and cohesion among the various sound sources, and customizing the soundscape’s intensity and rhythm to the spatial functions and the exigencies of the tourists.