Abstract: Based on social exchange theory, the impact of tourism benefit perception on residents' participation in the characteristic town and moderating effect of political trust are explored by hierarchy regression analysis. The study found that the tourism benefit perception on residents' participation in the characteristic town included three dimensions that of tourism economic benefit perception, tourism sociocultural benefit perception and tourism environment benefit perception. There is a gradual decline law of "tourism sociocultural benefit perception→tourism environment benefit perception→tourism economic benefit perception" .The perception of tourism benefit has a positive effect on residents' participation.Among them, tourism sociocultural benefit perception is the strongest and shows the "long board effect". Political trust can significantly positively moderate the relationship between tourism environment benefit perception and residents'participation, but it has no significant moderating effect on the relationship between tourism economic benefit perception and residents'participation, tourism sociocultural benefit perception and residents'participation.

Key words: tourism benefit perception, residents' participation, political trust, the characteristic town