Identifying Landscape Character in Multi-Ethnic Areas in Southwest China: The Case of the Miao Frontier Corridor

Yanjun Liu, Xiaomei Li (), Shangjun Lu, Liyun Xie and Zongsheng Huang
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Yanjun Liu: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Xiaomei Li: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Shangjun Lu: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Liyun Xie: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Zongsheng Huang: School of Architecture and Urban Planning, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-24

Abstract: The landscapes of China’s multi-ethnic areas are rich in natural and cultural value, but they are threatened by homogenization and urbanization. This study aims to establish a method for identifying and classifying the landscape characters in China’s multi-ethnic areas to support the protection and sustainable development of the landscape in these areas. Taking the Miao Frontier Corridor as an example, the study optimized a parameterization method of landscape character assessment (LCA), integrated relevant cultural and natural elements, and used the K-means clustering algorithm to determine the landscape character types and regions of the Miao Frontier Corridor. The results show that (1) the natural conditions, ethnic exchanges, and historical institutions of the Miao Frontier Corridor have had a significant impact on its overall landscape; and (2) using ethnic group culture as a cultural element in LCA helps to reveal the unique cultural value of areas with different landscape characters. This study expands the LCA framework and applies it to multi-ethnic areas in China, thereby establishing a database that can serve as the basis for cross-regional landscape protection, management, and development planning in these areas. The research methods can be widely used in other multi-ethnic areas in China.

Keywords: landscape character; cultural landscape; multi-ethnic area; China; the Miao Frontier Corridor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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