This study focuses on the ancient villages in southern Anhui, analyzing the dissemination effect of Douyin short videos on their tourism image using 13 357 comments from 137 sample videos on the Douyin platform. The research reveals that ancient villages such as Hongcun and Xidi hold a prominent position in short video dissemination, with their unique culture and architectural style being key factors in attracting audiences. There is a notable convergence between video publishers and viewers in terms of cognitive image, underscoring the influence of communication content on audience perception. Publishers generally adopt objective and positive promotional strategies, while viewers' emotional responses are more subjective and diverse, reflecting the impact of personal experiences and values on emotional reactions. Additionally, the emotional expressions of video publishers significantly influence the emotions of viewers, highlighting the crucial role of communication media in emotional transmission. Based on these findings, the study proposes innovative communication strategies, precise guidance of audience cognition, refined management of emotional communication, and enhanced application of emotional analysis technology, providing insights for the dissemination and development of the tourism image of ancient villages.