The Spatial Characteristics of Yi Ethnic Traditional Villages and Dwellings Based on Spatial Syntax

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3201286/v1

Traditional villages and dwellings are an essential component of cultural heritage, closely associated with the distinctive cultural characteristics of ethnic regions. This study focuses on traditional Yi ethnic villages in Liangshan and employs spatial syntax analysis and quantification methods. The research explores the cultural factors behind the spatial characteristics of towns and dwellings. The findings reveal that the selected village exhibits weak recognizability, strong independence, and an inward and closed spatial configuration centered in the middle section. Homes are typically arranged with a main building and two side buildings revolving around a central courtyard and a main hall. Internally, the arrangement of rooms shows flexibility and diversity, with the rooms of younger generations surrounding those of the elders and functional spaces organized around the hearth. These spatial characteristics are influenced by various cultural factors, including the mountainous terrain, lineage system, semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral production methods, emphasis on family harmony, use of lightweight local materials, and reverence for nature and the hearth. This research provides insights into the conservation and inheritance of Yi ethnic architectural and cultural heritage.

spatial syntax

Yi nationality

dwelling

spatial features

culture heritage

Ethnic minorities inhabit the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in southwestern China. The internal spatial composition of traditional Yi villages and dwellings reflects the cultural logic of specific periods and regions. However, with the influences of modernization and urbanization, these conventional villages and homes are facing severe threats of destruction and loss. To protect and inherit this cultural heritage, conducting in-depth research on their spatial characteristics and the cultural factors behind them is necessary. There have been some relevant research findings in the study of traditional Yi dwellings in Liangshan. Hu Xiaolin et al. [1] explored the conventional religious and folk beliefs of the Yi ethnic group reflected in the location, structural aesthetics, and artistic forms of tile-roofed houses. Du Huan [2] summarized the characteristics of the state and color in the exterior walls, roofs, doors, windows, and decorations of traditional Yi dwellings in Liangshan. Wen Quan [3] summarized the composition system and technical and cultural features of Yi ethnic architecture in the southwest region and explored the generation mechanism and evolutionary patterns of Yi ethnic settlements in the southwest. Cheng Bin [4] introduced the background, development process, site selection, layout, architectural typology, construction techniques, decorative arts, and cultural characteristics of traditional Yi dwellings. Chen Lusong [5] investigated the influence of different thermal performance roofing materials on the indoor thermal environment of rural houses and proposed optimization principles for roofing materials in Ebian Yi ethnic rural houses. However, despite these studies involving the architectural forms, structural characteristics, decorative arts, and other aspects of traditional Yi villages and dwellings in Liangshan [6–8], few scholars have conducted scientific and quantitative research on their spatial characteristics.

Currently, spatial syntax, as a research tool, has been widely used in architectural space studies. Dursun P [9] summarized that spatial syntax provides a more scientific language for thinking and discussing space. Van der Hoeven F et al. [10] explored the potential applications of spatial syntax in evaluating user wayfinding, orientation, and visibility in urban underground spaces. Li Y et al. [11] applied the method of spatial syntax analysis to analyze the tourism space of the Gulangyu historic site, providing a visual and quantitative approach to the field of tourism management. Wang Y et al. [12] used the research approach based on spatial syntax theory to divide the plan and elevation of kitchen spaces in elderly households. Rao X et al. [13] investigated the spatial layout characteristics of ancestral villages and the spatial usage relationships corresponding to different users under the influence of the patriarchal system using spatial syntax analysis. Spatial syntax has been applied in various types of architectural research, including residential, educational, elderly, and tourism architecture [14–16]. It provides a more scientific approach from a spatial perspective for the refined design of various types of buildings.

This study provides an in-depth analysis of the spatial characteristics of traditional Yi ethnic villages and dwellings in Liangshan based on spatial syntax. The axial analysis, convex space analysis, and visibility analysis within spatial syntax summarize and categorize their spatial features, including village structure, morphology, spatial recognizability, public spaces, dwelling layouts, communal spaces, and virtual nodal spaces. Furthermore, this research delves into the underlying cultural connotations, including cultural logic, production systems, and ways of life. Through the outcomes of this study, we aim to provide valuable insights into the preservation and inheritance of Liangshan Yi's architectural and cultural heritage.

This study selected three traditional villages in Meigu County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, as the research objects and their representative dwellings (Fig. 1a). The villages include Sigangpu Village, Gutuo Village, and Sijiji Village. Situated in the heartland of the Daliang Mountains, these villages have minimal external interventions and exhibit a high degree of integrity in terms of their morphological characteristics. Gutuo Village and Sijiji Village have been listed in the second batch of China's Traditional Villages. The elevations of these three villages are 2200 m, 2400 m, and 3000 m, respectively. Additionally, the spatial organization of these villages is relatively dispersed, with low building density. The typical dwelling type is a wooden structure with tiled roofs featuring a courtyard layout consisting of a main house and two side rooms (Fig. 1b). Rammed earth and timber are the primary construction materials and the structural system adopts a frame structure.

Methods

Spatial syntactic theory. The theory of Space Syntax was developed by Professor Bill Hillier in the 1970s at the University of Cambridge [17]. It explains the spatial form and cultural activities of buildings, communities, and towns at different scales from the perspective of spatial construction activities. The theory recognizes space as a medium that connects form and cultural function rather than just a static background for human activities. The construction of space itself is considered a part of sociocultural activities, as it involves the creation of spatial patterns to achieve social and cultural goals. People perceive and understand the spatial structure by moving through it. Therefore, the techniques of Space Syntax, based on the principles of systems theory, holism, and developmentalism, aim to reveal the underlying social logics and spatial rules that are difficult to express through the analysis of complex connections between different spaces at various scales and their relationships with human activity patterns. It proposes self-organizing spatial structures and their evolutionary models. Space Syntax has been widely applied in everyday life and academic research. For example, in cartography, Space Syntax describes geographical spatial relations, such as distances, directions, and corresponding locations between places. Similarly, Space Syntax can be employed to describe the spatial relationships within Yi traditional villages, such as the relationships between dwellings. In spatial cognition and psychology, Space Syntax is used to study human perception and understanding of space, exploring how humans comprehend and remember spatial information. Likewise, Space Syntax can be used to describe the significant spatial features of Yi traditional dwellings. In summary, Space Syntax possesses quantitative and qualitative advantages in studying spatial form and the sociocultural logic it carries. Therefore, as an ethnic minority in China with distinctive cultural characteristics, the Yi people have a unique architectural tradition. Space Syntax can accurately describe and analyze the spatial structure of Yi traditional villages and dwellings, including their morphological characteristics and the relationships between rooms. The spatial design and layout of Yi traditional dwellings reflect the residents' living needs and possess rich cultural connotations and symbolic meanings. Through Space Syntax analysis, a better understanding of the cultural connotations and symbolic meanings of Yi traditional dwellings can be achieved, thereby effectively protecting, inheriting, and developing this cultural heritage.

Methods and Procedures. The author conducted field research on villages in Meigu County, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, and established a mathematical model to explore the spatial characteristics and cultural factors of Yi traditional villages and dwellings. In this study, the axial, convex space, and visibility analysis methods from Space Syntax were employed. Specifically, the axial analysis method was used to study the overall spatial characteristics of villages at a larger scale, the convex space method was used to analyze the internal spatial configuration of dwellings, and the visibility analysis method was used to assess the visibility and visual guidance of critical nodes within small-scale indoor spaces. The research steps were as follows:

Field research was conducted to collect relevant data and information on traditional Yi villages in Meigu County. Several representative Yi traditional villages were selected as research objects. Firstly, the axial model was used to analyze the village's spatial layout and road network. The village street network was represented by axial lines to depict the skeleton of the village spatial structure, generating a village axial model. Graph theory and topological principles were applied, and the axial model was processed using the Depthmap software. Various parameters were used to describe spatial topological relationships, and the street network of traditional villages was translated into lines to reflect human behavioral activities and trends. By analyzing parameters such as the village's intelligibility, integration, connectivity, and depth values, the quantified research revealed the characteristics of the village's spatial structure and analyzed the cultural factors behind them.

Secondly, the convex space model was utilized to analyze the planar spatial configuration of dwellings. The Depthmap software was employed to divide the dwelling space into different spatial units, with the dwelling plan divided into a detailed 100x100 grid. The basic form, organizational structure, spatial sequence of the dwelling space, and the relationships between different spatial units were obtained by analyzing the topological relationships, connectivity values, integration, and depth between spatial units. Furthermore, the visibility analysis method was used to study the critical node spaces within dwellings. By analyzing the visibility and visual guidance of these spaces, important nodes and visual focal points within the indoor space were revealed, and their cultural factors were analyzed.

Village.

The comprehensibility, integration, connectivity, and depth values of Sigangpu Village, Gutuo Village, and Sijiji Village were calculated using the axial analysis method from Space Syntax. The comprehensibility parameter was used to describe the internal order and logicality of the villages. The integration parameter helped identify potential advantages or core spaces within the villages. The connectivity parameter was used to assess the possibility of internal permeability. The average depth value was employed to evaluate the accessibility of transportation. In the axial analysis, an axial map was used to represent the spatial layout, where the axial lines represented the collection of all tangents drawn based on the visible vertices of objects to each other. The parameter values were presented as a graded chromatic scale, with red (warm colors) indicating higher values and blue (cool colors) indicating lower values.

Intelligibility. Comprehensibility refers to the ease with which people can perceive the overall spatial system from local perceptions, and it reflects the recognizability of space at the network structure level. Understanding the overall length is based on the observer's association and construction of local perceptions; thus, this parameter reflects the degree of correlation between the local and the whole. The peak value of comprehensibility is 0.5, indicating that when the value is more significant than 0.5, there is a good correlation between the local and the whole, and the ease of understanding the spatial layout structure is higher. Conversely, a lower value indicates the opposite. Spaces with high comprehensibility often form local public areas with high social vitality and functional diversity, making it easy for people to create clear and distinguishable mental images. From the comprehensibility map (Fig. 2), Sigangpu Village, Gutuo Village, and Sijiji Village values are 0.2353, 0.0198, and 0.0987, respectively. This indicates that the comprehensibility of the layout structures in these three villages is relatively low, meaning weak recognizability. The scatter plot shows a specific correlation between the horizontal and vertical axes, and the goodness of fit of the trend line has a specific predictive ability, indicating that they possess both the correlation and ambiguity between the local and the whole.

The formation of this spatial characteristic can be attributed to two main factors. Firstly, traditional Yi culture emphasizes the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. As a result, traditional Yi dwellings are often built in consideration of the natural terrain and landforms. For example, they are commonly constructed along the contours of the mountains or near water bodies. The dynamic and uncertain nature of mountains and water introduces a sense of ambiguity between the locals and the whole of the village. Secondly, the Yi people in Liangshan have a family lineage system known as "Jia zhi," naturally formed based on patrilineal blood relations. Traditional villages typically comprise several family lineages, each with its leader and rules. These family lineages also connect and interact, bringing about a sense of order between the locals and the whole village.

Table 1

Axis model parameters of Siganpu Village, Gutuo Village, and Sijiji Village
Content	Village	Min	Avg.	Max
Global integration	Siganpu Village	0.170595	0.350389	0.477953
	Gutuo Village	0.107825	0.241029	1.09765
	Sijiji Village	0.146586	0.246088	0.339588
Local integration	Siganpu Village	0.333333	1.12722	2.17712
	Gutuo Village	0.333333	0.905173	1.89187
	Sijiji Village	0.333333	0.974867	1.75729
Connectivity	Siganpu Village	1	2.51301	7
	Gutuo Village	0	2.0687	5
	Sijiji Village	0	2.16143	5
Mean depth	Siganpu Village	12.5522	17.3807	33.3657
	Gutuo Village	2	27.738	49.6364
	Sijiji Village	16.4615	22.7558	36.819

Integration. "Integration" is also known as "cohesion" and describes the degree of clustering within a village space. It can be divided into global integration and local integration. Integration reflects the level of connectivity between points in length and measures the accessibility of the village space. Points with higher integration in the system space have better spatial accessibility, exhibit higher vitality, and are relatively more attractive to people flow. Conversely, points with lower integration indicate lower spatial accessibility. The axis lines with higher values of global integration are referred to as the integrated core of the axis line system, representing the core area of the village. Generally, the worldwide integration value approaches 1, indicating a tighter spatial organizational structure and higher integration within the town. Conversely, as the global integration value comes 0, it suggests a more dispersed spatial organizational structure and lower integration within the village. Local integration represents the convenience of reaching a particular space within a limited depth radius. Areas with high regional integration can exert influence within a small range. In this study, the local integration was measured using a three-step depth radius, and the calculation method was consistent with that of global integration.

The average global integration values of Sigangpu Village, Guduo Village, and Sijiji Village were calculated using the Depthmap software and found to be 0.350389, 0.241029, and 0.246088, respectively, ranging from 0.107825 to 1.09765. The average local integration values were 1.12722, 1.12722, and 0.905173, ranging from 0.333333 to 2.17712 (Table 1). From the analysis of the global integration map (Fig. 3), it can be observed that the region with the highest global integration is located in the middle part of the village. This area has more residential buildings, a more intricate transportation network with many branching paths, and is considered the core space of the town with higher accessibility, centrality, and attractiveness. Spaces closer to the main roads become the peripheral spaces of the village. This is due to the significant influence of the traditional production mode on the village structure, as the Liangshan Yi people engage in semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral production, with a greater emphasis on animal husbandry than agriculture. The middle part of the village is situated in areas with moderate terrain. The selection of Yi ethnic houses follows the principle of "prefer pastureland on higher ground, prefer residential areas in the middle, and prefer farmland at the lower part," cleverly integrating the lifestyle, production mode, and natural conditions, forming a hierarchical relationship of production space-residential space-production space interaction [18]. The analysis of the local integration map (Fig. 4) reveals that areas with higher regional integration are also located in the middle part within a small range and have significant influence within this limited scope. Overall, the local integration levels of traditional villages are relatively similar, indicating similar power levels. This is because conventional Yi ethnic architecture mainly consists of residential buildings, lacking public buildings such as ancestral halls commonly found in Han ethnic architecture. This results in comparable levels of local integration.

Connectivity. Axis connectivity refers to the number of other axes directly intersecting a particular axis. It represents the sum of connected spaces to the i-th node, while the connectivity value indicates the degree of permeability in the system space. A higher connectivity value indicates more vital permeability, whereas a lower value indicates weaker permeability. By using the Depthmap software, the average connectivity values for Sigangpu Village, Guduo Village, and Sijiji Village were calculated as 2.51301, 2.0687, and 2.16143, respectively, ranging from 0 to 7 (Table 1). The connectivity analysis map (Fig. 5) shows that the interconnectivity between regions in the three villages is not high, and the permeability capabilities are nearly equal, indicating similar spatial independence. This is often due to the constraints imposed by the terrain and land use. The villages are located amidst steep mountains, with complex landscape and limited road access, resulting in less closely connected residential buildings. The areas with higher connectivity are primarily located in the middle parts of the villages, including newly constructed residential sections. These areas exhibit more vital permeability and tighter connections between residential buildings.

Depth. Depth refers to the number of spaces that must be traversed from one area to another. A higher depth value indicates weaker accessibility and greater spatial complexity, while a lower value indicates full accessibility. By using the Depthmap software, the average depth values for Sigangpu Village, Guduo Village, and Sijiji Village were calculated as 17.3807, 27.738, and 22.7558, respectively, ranging from 2 to 49.6364 (Table 1). This indicates that the overall spatial structure of the villages is relatively complex, with weaker accessibility. Furthermore, analyzing the depth values helps identify the areas in the towns that are easiest and most difficult to navigate. From the depth value analysis map (Fig. 6), it can be observed that the areas with the highest depth values in Sigangpu Village, Guduo Village, and Sijiji Village are located in the northwest, southwest, and northwest directions, respectively. These areas are the most difficult to orient oneself in, indicating weaker accessibility to residential buildings. The central parts of the villages have the lowest depth values, making them the easiest to navigate, with multiple pathways for accessibility. The accessibility in other areas gradually decreases outward from the central region. This is because of the Yi ethnic group's family system, conflicts between different family branches, and their historical need for defense. Most Yi villages are strategically located on mountains with rugged terrains, narrow passages, and cliffs, providing natural defensive advantages.

Dwelling.

Through the investigation of residential buildings in Sigangpu Village, Guduo Village, and Sijiji Village, it was found that the layout of their typical houses is similar. Here, we take the representative example of the Sepeiguoji Residence in Sigangpu Village, which is designated as a key-protected object. Based on the "topological model" and "convex space model" in spatial syntax, the quantitative analysis uses three quantitative indicators: connectivity, integration, and depth. The Sepeiguoji Residence consists of three main parts: the main building, the ancillary building, and the courtyard. From the perspective of the spatial enclosure, it has a "U"-shaped layout, presenting an inwardly converging spatial form. The internal space of the main functions (hall, bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, storage room, etc.) is partitioned by wooden panels, providing a flexible layout (Fig. 7). There is no clearly defined dining room or kitchen area on the ground floor. The dining area is in the middle of the hall and consists of a temporary wooden table, while cooking activities occur near the hearth. The mezzanine on the second-floor stores grain and is accessed via a movable wooden ladder (Fig. 8). The layout of ancillary functions (storage room, poultry farming room, etc.) is relatively regular.

Spatial topological relationships. The topological relationships in spatial syntax can reveal the spatial positioning and structure between different elements. Analyzing the spatial topological relationships of the Sepeiguoji Residence (Fig. 9), it can be observed that the bedrooms are arranged close to each other, and the bedrooms and storage rooms exhibit a parallel relationship. This layout characteristic is due to the Yi ethnic group's traditional emphasis on family harmony and unity. The children's bedrooms are located on either side of the main bedroom, with the position of the main bedroom symbolizing the center of the family. The proximity of the younger generation's bedrooms to the bedrooms of the elders signifies mutual reliance and support among family members. Additionally, the flexible spatial layout of the Sepeiguoji Residence can be observed from the plan forms and positional relationships of each bedroom. This flexibility is attributed to the abundant supply of lightweight local materials such as wood and bamboo in Yi ethnic areas.

The topological structure diagram reveals that the spatial structure of the Sepeiguoji Residence belongs to the primary-secondary core type (Fig. 10), with the central core space being the hall and the secondary core space being the courtyard. These two core spaces are interconnected with other auxiliary spaces, such as bedrooms, storage rooms, and livestock areas, forming a smooth functional spatial connection. From a practical perspective, this topological structure exhibits two branching centers, primarily influenced by the semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral production modes. Two branches are formed by dividing the functional spaces according to their intended service objects. The available rooms centered around the hall primarily serve people and crops, while the operating rooms centered around the courtyard serve crops and poultry.

Connectivity, Integration, and Mean Depth.

Table 2

Summary of the properties of spatial layout based on convex space analysis
Attribute	Granary、Son's bedroom、Inner bedroom、Daughter's bedroom	Hall	Outer corridor	Utility room、Breeding room	Inter layer	Courtyard
Connectivity	1	7	2	1	1	4
Integration	0.9217	2.2384	1.7410	0.6812	0.9217	1.2053
Depth	2.5455	1.6364	1.8182	3.0910	2.5455	2.1818

Through the analysis of the residential floor plan using the convex space model in the Depthmap software, as shown in Table 2, the connectivity values of the Sepeiguoji Residence's hall and courtyard are 7 and 4, respectively, indicating a high level of connectivity and suggesting good permeability and a certain degree of publicness in its spatial layout. The hall occupies a central position within the entire residence and serves as the core of traditional Yi ethnic dwellings. It is the central public space where family and clan members gather, communicate, worship, and celebrate. The courtyard is a secondary public space in traditional dwellings adjacent to storage rooms, livestock areas, and exterior corridors. In addition to being a gathering and ceremonial opening for family members, the courtyard also functions as an area for drying crops and raising poultry.

The integration values of the hall, exterior corridor, and courtyard are 2.2384, 1.7410, and 1.2053, respectively, indicating a high level of integration and suggesting a compact spatial layout that facilitates the gathering and interaction of people. This is because the hall serves as the core of the residence, the exterior corridor acts as a transitional space connecting the lobby and courtyard, and the courtyard functions as the front yard of the dwelling, providing a place for family members to engage in activities and rest. Together, they form a unified whole and establish a continuous spatial order. The connections between these spaces are natural and seamless, blurring the boundaries between the interior and exterior of the dwelling and creating a harmonious living environment that reflects the Yi ethnic culture's respect for the natural surroundings.

The depth value of the side rooms (storage room, livestock room) in the main house with two side wings is 3.0910, the highest among the depth values, indicating the weakest accessibility. This is influenced by the "semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral" production mode and religious beliefs. On the one hand, the storage room and livestock room are typically used to store unclean items and animals and to prevent their odors and impacts from entering the main house. On the other hand, the main house is considered a sacred space, accessible only to family members and the souls of ancestors. Therefore, the side rooms are relatively independent of the main house and do not have direct passages leading to it.

Visibility. The spatial integration diagram of the main building (Fig. 11) shows that high perceptibility spaces form a continuous state between the outdoor and indoor areas. Significantly, the positioning of the hearth extends this perceptual state and becomes a visual focal point. The colors used in the figure represent the perceptibility of the building spaces, with warmer colors indicating higher perceptibility and more excellent colors meaning lower perceptibility. The hearth holds significant status and value in Yi ethnic traditional culture. There is a kind of worship for the home, an essential spatial node in Yi traditional dwellings, displaying high perceptibility in the spatial integration diagram. By analyzing the visual hierarchy of the hearth space (Fig. 12), it is found that the hearth space has a good line of sight. As the core space of Yi traditional dwellings, the hearth allows for observation of various rooms indoors, including the beds of children, the master, and the grain storage room, serving as the focal point of indoor visual attention. Furthermore, the spatial layout of the dwelling centers around the hearth, with functional areas such as the kitchen, living room, and bedrooms arranged around it. This layout facilitates communication and interaction among family members, serving as a gathering, communication, and ceremonial space, thus enhancing family cohesion. This layout is not only due to the Yi people's emphasis on family harmony and unity but also because the hearth holds sacred symbolism in Yi culture, representing family unity and happiness. The Yi people believe that the flames in the home can ward off diseases and negative energy, ensuring the health and safety of family members. During important festivals and ceremonies, the Yi people light bonfires in the hearth to worship ancestors and deities, praying for abundant harvests and peace.

Table 3. Spatial characteristics of villages and dwellings and their cultural causes

	Spatial Characteristics	Cultural Factors
Village	Village Weak spatial legibility with a combination of local coherence and ambiguity	Ambiguity: Constraints of mountainous topography, Order: Family system
	Village structure centered around the central area	Semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral production mode
	Moderate independence in village spatial layout	Constraints of mountainous topography
	Introverted and enclosed spatial form	Family system
Dwelling	Dwellings Arrangement of the younger generation's rooms around the elder's room	Emphasis on family harmony and unity
	Divergent spatial layout centered around courtyards and halls	Semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral production mode
	Flexible arrangement of functional rooms	Utilization of lightweight local materials
	Strong public nature of halls and courtyards	Semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral production mode
	Continuous spatial order of halls, external corridors, and courtyards	Respect for nature
	Spatial layout of one main building and two side buildings	Semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral production mode, religious beliefs
	Arrangement of functional rooms around the hearth in the main building	Emphasis on family harmony and unity, reverence for the hearth

This study quantitatively analyzes the spatial characteristics of traditional Yi villages and dwellings through field surveys and spatial syntax software, revealing their spatial features and cultural factors. However, the number of sample villages is relatively small, which limits the research findings. Additionally, due to limited familiarity with the terrain, undiscovered villages and dwellings may have unique characteristics. Furthermore, the cultural factors analyzed solely based on the architectural layout, spatial structure of towns, and internal space of homes overlook the importance of the surrounding landscape, which is an integral part of village architecture. Therefore, in the future preservation and inheritance of Yi architectural culture, it is crucial to conduct more in-depth exploration and investigation of spatial characteristics in traditional villages, increase the number of sample villages, enhance understanding of the terrain, and improve the reliability and applicability of the research. Simultaneously, it is essential to consider the surrounding landscape in the analysis, which will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the spatial significance of traditional Yi villages and dwellings and their integration with the surrounding environment.

Based on the quantitative indicators and analysis of spatial syntax in traditional Yi villages and dwellings in Liangshan, the following conclusions are drawn (Table 3): Regarding village spatial characteristics: the spatial recognizability is weak, with both local and overall correlations exhibiting ambiguity. The core space of the village is located in the central area, and the internal spaces demonstrate strong independence. The overall spatial layout appears introverted and enclosed. Regarding interior dwelling spaces: the rooms of younger generations are arranged around elders' rooms in the main building, and functional rooms are placed around the hearth. The overall dwelling follows a divergent spatial layout centered around the courtyard and main hall, taking the form of one main house and two side wings. This arrangement establishes a continuous spatial order between the main entrance, exterior corridors, and courtyard, with a strong sense of public space in the main hall and courtyard. The spatial characteristics of traditional Yi villages and dwellings are shaped by the synergistic influence of various cultural factors, including the mountainous terrain, family kinship system, semi-agricultural and semi-pastoral production mode, emphasis on family harmony, lightweight local materials, respect for nature, and reverence for the hearth. Therefore, the author believes that in preserving traditional Yi villages and dwellings in Liangshan and in the design of regional Yi architecture, it is essential to consider the cultural factors behind their spatial characteristics and reflect them in architectural design.

Acknowledgment

The primary funding for this research was provided by the 2019 Sichuan Province Social Science Planning Project (Project No. SC19B154).

Author contributions

Qin Lai was responsible for the idea and writing of the article. Wei Liu participated in the revision and optimization of the article. Xing Li participated in the revision and optimization of the article. Qiu Jin participated in the production of the chart.

Competing interest

The authors declare no competing interest.

Data Availability

The data used to support the findings of this study are included in the article.

Additional information

Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to Wei Liu.

Reprints and permissions information is available at www.nature.com/reprints.

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The Spatial Characteristics of Yi Ethnic Traditional Villages and Dwellings Based on Spatial Syntax

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Abstract

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Introduction

Material

Methods

Results and analysis

Discussion

Conclusion

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References

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