From Glyph to Meaning: Applying Cultural Codes in Virtual Museum Path Design to Enhance Social Well-being

Abstract

This paper aims to provide an in-depth exploration of the graphic forms, symbolic systems, and underlying cultural meanings embedded in the cultural codes of Shuishu. As a unique and ancient writing system of the Shui people, who belong to the Tai–Kadai (Zhuang–Dong) language family, Shuishu embodies exceptionally valuable historical memory and indigenous knowledge. This study constructs a multidimensional classification framework comprising five major cultural domains and seven categories of grapheme–semantic correspondences. It further establishes systematic linkages and mappings between this framework and 22 categories of Shuishu archival texts. Grounded in theoretical perspectives from semiotics, art studies, and cultural studies, the research seeks to translate Shuishu culture into the design practice of a “virtual museum.” By employing digital media technologies as a medium, it facilitates the contemporary dissemination and revitalized presentation of this intangible cultural heritage. Such an approach not only creates an immersive and interactive cultural experience space, but also provides the general public, researchers, and interested audiences with more accessible and efficient pathways to understand the origins, structural logic, and spiritual connotations of Shui culture, thereby contributing to the enhancement of social well-being.