The activation and utilization of cultural heritage are crucial components of the revitalization of Chinese culture and integral elements of tourism landscapes. Using national key cultural heritage sites in the northwest region of China as a case study, this research employs spatial analysis methods such as kernel density estimation and standard deviation ellipses, combined with qualitative approaches derived from landscape genetics, to identify and analyze the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of cultural heritage tourism landscapes in the northwest region. The results indicate that cultural heritage exhibits an overall spatial distribution pattern characterized by "dense in the east and sparse in the west, " oscillating along a northwest-southeast axis, with its center of gravity shifting in relation to social evolution. Based on the biological DNA analogy, the constructed framework of cultural heritage tourism landscapes includes four core genes: historical transitions, core areas and diversification, temporality and continuity, and expansion and aggregation, forming a dynamic spatiotemporal genetic map. This study provides theoretical support and practical pathways for graded protection of cultural heritage, integrated cultural-tourism development, and regional collaborative governance, thereby advancing systematic recognition and efficient transformation of heritage values. Meanwhile, this study offers a new paradigmatic reference for geographical inquiries into related cultural heritage.