Residential Spatial Distribution and Cultural-Geographical Logic of Single Traditional Dwellings in Guangxi
JI Jingjuan
FU Xiaolin
Abstract：As a common architectural feature in southern China and Southeast Asia,single traditional dwellings are particularly prominent in Guangxi.These dwellings are characterized by rich and varied internal residential spaces,reflecting the cultural diversity of regional housing traditions.Further study of these residential spaces can support the protection of residential dwelling features in ethnic regions.Existing studies mainly focus on representative ethnic cases in Guangzhou but pay little attention to the unique features,distribution laws,and formation processes of residential spaces in single traditional dwellings.
First,information on single traditional dwellings across Guangxi was collected and analyzed.The dwellings were then classified based on the combination and sequencing characteristics of internal residential spaces.Second,the distribution patterns of different types of residential dwellings were identified using the nearest neighbor index,kernel density estimation,and location quotient.Finally,the mechanisms of influence on residential dwelling distribution were disclosed through the cultural geography theory and Geodetector analysis,and the relevant cultural geographical logics were clarified.Furthermore,the evolutionary trajectory of residential space types was deduced.
Results showed:(1)Four types of residential spaces in single traditional dwellings in Guangxi were identified:Front-Corridor with Central Pool,Front Pool Transverse,Central Hall Divergent,and Central Hall with Flanking Rooms,each showing a clustered distribution pattern;(2)These dwellings are distributed throughout a broad northwestern corridor,extending from Quanzhou County in the northeast to Pingxiang City in the southwest.Among them,the Central Hall with Flanking Rooms are extensively distributed and continuously diffused.The other three types demonstrate significant regional variations and multi-centered diffusion patterns;(3)Influencing factors of residential space distribution:large-scale ethnic migration along river networks has contributed to the spread of the Central Hall with Flanking Rooms type;the development of ancient pathways near the Guizhou-Guangxi-Hunan border led to the predominance of the Front-Corridor with Central Pool type in Sanjiang and Rongshui;the rugged topography provided refuge for migrating populations and facilitated the clustering of the Front Pool Transverse type in Longsheng Various Nationalities Autonomous County and Du'an Yao Autonomous County;the integration of Han and minority groups in high-altitude environments drove the formation and expansion of the Central Hall Divergent type in northern and western Guangxi;(4)These mechanisms reflect the cultural-geographic logic shaped by the interaction between the people,environment,and culture.This logic is closely related to multi-ethnic population mobility.The findings highlight the evolution of residential spaces in single traditional dwellings in Guangxi from Front-Corridor with Central Pool to Front Pool Transverse,to Central Hall Divergent,and ultimately to Central Hall with Flanking Rooms.
In this study,the historical characteristics and continuation mechanisms of residential spaces in single traditional dwellings in Guangxi have been objectively presented,offering beneficial insights into the conservation and adaptive renewal of regional vernacular architecture in the context of rural revitalization.In the future,a more comprehensive framework of influencing factors shall be established to supplement systematic discussions on economic,social,and policy factors.
Keywords：traditional dwellingscultural geographyresidential spacetypespace distributionGuangxi
Publication Date：2025-09-30
Online Publishing Date：2025-10-20(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：11( 58-68 )