Research on Features and Influencing Factors of Traditional Settlements in Nanjiang River Basin:A Case Study based on Riverside Villages in Yunan County,Yunfu City
The Nanjiang River Basin is located in the mountainous area of western Guangdong and is known as the birthplace of Lingnan culture.The"Nanjiang River"is not only a geographical concept but also a regional cultural having a long history and tradition.It has its own water culture belt,cultural genes,soul of the nation and spiritual bond.In addition,there are multiple ethnic cultures including Baiyue,Hakkas,Guangfu and Fulao in the Nanjiang River Basin since it is located in the cultural sub-region of Guangfu in Xijiang,showing unique regional characteristics and cultural heritage different from the Xijiang River Basin and western Guangdong.Yunan County in the downstream of Nanjiang River is the center of Nanjiang culture.The cultural relics in the late Paleolithic Age and Neolithic Age discovered in Modao Mountain in Yunan County are the earliest ancient imprints which have been found in Guangdong.The geographical conditions of the mountains and rivers and the trade benefits of the ancient post road have brought prosperity to the Nanjiang River Basin.The traditional settlements along the route are rich and prosperous.The section from Yunan Dawan Town to Nanjiangkou Town is a golden waterway with stable water flow and wide channel.The traditional settlements along this section are very characteristic of Nanjiang River style.Existing studies on traditional settlements in the Nanjiang River Basin mainly focus on development of ancient villages and the protection and utilization of ancient buildings.There are extensive studies on the landscape characteristics in the Xijiang River Basin or western Guangdong.However,there is a lack of systematic research on the landscape characteristics of traditional settlements in the Nanjiang River Basin.Therefore,the Nanjiang catchment area covering six towns of Dawan,Hekou,Songgui,Liantan,Dongba and Nanjiangkou was chosen as the study area and 58 traditional settlements within the study area were selected as the research objects according to field surveys.Through field surveys,historical documents,village genealogy and geographic information system analysis,the landscape characteristics derived from the human-land relationship in the Nanjiang River Basin from the perspective of cultural geography were disclosed.Traditional settlements generally concentrate in the flat hinterland between the two mountains,the flat hinterland on both sides of the river or the open flat area with a gentle slope between the hilly platforms.The ecological landscape of traditional settlements is eclectic and most settlements are located near water bodies with high attention to Fengshui imagery.The production landscape integrates both agriculture and commerce and pursues high-efficiency production under the influence of commercial atmosphere of the ancient post road.The landscape reflects cultural fusion and gathering of talents.The traditional settlements adapt to large and multi-function house structure for living.Moreover,the integration of multiple cultures in Nanjiang is reflected in traditional architecture,folk culture and other aspects.Human adaptation and coordination to the complicated natural geography of Nanjiang River,manual site selection in accordance with landform,development based on river benefits brought by natural water system and production of multi-cultural landscapes can influence formation of landscape characteristics.These influencing factors are mainly manifested in the following three points:1)landscape adapting to water environment in Nanjiang River Basin.Nanjiang River Basin is located in the mountainous area of western Guangdong.Under the complicated geographical conditions,the settlement survival and village construction are coordinated with nature,which dominates distribution and site selection laws of settlements.2)The commerce and trade based on ancient post roads promote the formation of production and life landscapes.The post road pattern in Nanjiang waterway assisted by the Guguan Avenue influences the living landscapes of traditional settlements to a very large extent.In the context of active business,commercial facilities of settlements are developed,while settlement layout and house design adapt to commercial development.3)The policy of"recruiting people to occupy land"in the middle of Ming Dynasty has given rise to diverse landscapes.With implementation of this policy,various immigrants of different ethnic groups were attracted,bringing the multi-cultural settlement landscape pattern,spatial layout,residential building styles and architectural decorations of local traditional settlements.Therefore,diversified and inclusive Nanjiang Culture was formed.Traditional settlements are treasures of the Nanjiang River Basin,reflecting human adaptability to natural environment and cultural and social changes.Considering the impact of current urbanization on traditional settlements,contemporary urban and rural construction should respect and understand the living and construction logics of traditional settlements and cherish precious traditional settlement landscapes under the premise of steady economic and social development.The study on landscape features and influencing factors of traditional settlements in Nanjiang River Basin could facilitate the investigation on landscape features in Nanjiang River Basin and traditional settlements in western Guangdong.
traditional settlementsNanjiang River Basinlandscape featuresYunan Countyancient post road
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