Echoing calls for further empirical research of exploring complex mechanism of dark tourism experiences, as well as following the series of studies on post-disaster recovery (Wenchuan earthquake in China), it takes an earthquake-ruined country town Beichuan as a study case to explore relationships between dark places, on-site experiences, and behavioral intentions. By using structural equation modeling, it proves that the framework of aroused memory, cognition-affection, satisfaction, and behavior intention (place protection) is an effective new approach to understand visitors’ psychological experiences in the contest of dark tourism. Most importantly, it innovatively proves in quantitative way that aroused memory (either firsthand or secondhand) is the antecedent factor that influences the on-site cognition and emotion, and past experience plays the moderating role affects both the extent and the inner relation of dark experiences between visitors who were exposed/not exposed to a specific dark event. The findings are also beneficial in guiding post-disaster site planning and management.

Ruins serve as symbolic sites at which to re-examine people’s relationships with the past and bonds with places. In the context of the ruination caused by earthquakes and the displacement and resettlement of local residents post-disaster, this paper explores vernacular (residents’ and survivors’) memories, emotions, and senses of place triggered by the ruins of Beichuan county town, China. Results show vernacular memories of specific ruins were highly fragmented and multi-temporal. Interwoven before- and after-quake memories gave rise to complex emotions, mainly including traumatic feeling of sadness, fear, and painful nostalgia. The study further identifies people’s sense of place towards the ruined county town and finds that locals’ sense of place was not accompanied by the loss of physical dependence to the negative side; locals still expressed high levels of place identity (physical uniqueness, self-esteem, and meanings), place attachment (rootedness and emotional attachment), and positive consequences of place behaviours (protection intention and revisiting) post-earthquake. Moreover, it found that sociodemographic variables of age and length of residence in Beichuan and the variables of disaster loss had significant effect on people’s sense of place. This study balances the overriding focus on visual and representational concerns common in ruin scholarship and further reveals the complex psychological processes impacting on sense of place after large-scale disasters. The findings reflect on the relief practices of post-disaster planning and can serve to guide ruin preservation.