The word 巡演 is formed by combining two characters: 巡, which means "to patrol" or "to tour around", and 演, which means "to perform". When joined, they create a new concept where the action of 巡 (touring) modifies the action of 演 (performing), directly and visually conveying the idea of a "performance tour" or "touring show", where artists travel to multiple locations to present their act.