GIS-Based Analysis of the Spatial Distribution and Influencing Factors of Traditional Villages in Hebei Province, China

Anqiang Jia, Xiaoxu Liang, Xuan Wen, Xin Yun, Lijian Ren and Yingxia Yun ()
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Anqiang Jia: School of Architecture, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Xiaoxu Liang: Department of Architecture and Design, Politecnico di Torino, 10125 Turin, Italy
Xuan Wen: Department of Urban and Rural Construction, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
Xin Yun: Department of Urban and Rural Construction, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
Lijian Ren: School of Architecture, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
Yingxia Yun: School of Architecture, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-24

Abstract: Traditional villages are a valuable cultural asset that occupy an important position in Chinese traditional culture. This study focuses on 206 traditional villages in Hebei Province and aims to explore their spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors using ArcGIS spatial analysis. The analysis shows that traditional villages in Hebei Province were distributed in clusters during different historical periods, and eventually formed three core clusters in Shijiazhuang, Zhangjiakou and Xingtai-Handan after different historical periods. Moreover, the overall distribution of traditional villages in Hebei Province is very uneven, with clear regional differences, and most of them are concentrated in the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains. To identify the factors influencing traditional villages, natural environmental factors, socio-economic factors, and historical and cultural factors are considered. The study finds that socio-economic and natural environmental factors alternate in the spatial distribution of traditional villages in Hebei Province. The influence of the interaction of these factors increases significantly, and socio-economic factors have a stronger influence on the spatial distribution. Specifically, the spatial distribution of traditional villages in Hebei Province is influenced by natural environmental factors, while socio-economic factors act as drivers of spatial distribution. Historical and cultural factors act as catalysts of spatial distribution, and policy directions are external forces of spatial distribution. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of traditional villages in Hebei Province, which can be used to develop effective strategies for rural revitalisation in China.

Keywords: traditional villages; rural heritage; spatial pattern; regional study; GIS; Hebei Province (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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