Dr Pan Liao (email: pan.liao@mymail.unisa.edu.au; ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7269-9231) is a lecturer at the China University of Mining and Technology, China. Pan earned his doctoral degree at the University of South Australia. Pan’s research topic mainly includes design computing, space syntax, heritage conservation, and heritage tourism. Pan is particularly interested in analysing the spatial and spatio-functional patterns of historic Chinese towns using the space syntax method from a heritage tourism perspective.