THE SPATIAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE IN XINJIANG AND TRADITIONAL VILLAGE AND ITS INFLUENCING FACTORS
Keywords:
Xinjiang, Geodetector, Traditional villages, Intangible cultural heritage, GISAbstract
This investigation examines the spatial associations and distributional attributes of traditional village settlements and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) across Xinjiang through the application of kernel density estimation, spatial autocorrelation metrics, bivariate spatial correlation analysis, and geodetector modeling techniques. These analytical approaches were employed to characterize spatial differentiation patterns and identify underlying determinants. Kernel density analysis combined with spatial statistical methods revealed the aggregate distributional features of national-level ICH throughout Xinjiang and assessed the impacts of topographic conditions, hydrological accessibility, GDP levels, and population concentration on heritage distribution patterns. Principal findings indicate that: (1) the majority of traditional village settlements and ICH sites concentrate in low-elevation plain and oasis environments, with spatial configurations generally conforming to major mountain system orientations; (2) both traditional villages and ICH exhibit pronounced spatial heterogeneity, with principal concentration zones predominantly clustered in the Changji–Urumqi corridor; (3) topographic elevation demonstrates the strongest explanatory power for ICH spatial distribution, followed by GDP, river network accessibility, and population density, while the interactive effect between elevation and hydrological conditions exhibits the greatest explanatory capacity; (4) for traditional village distribution, GDP and river system accessibility exert comparatively stronger influences, and the combined interaction between GDP and elevation makes the most substantial contribution to spatial differentiation. These results demonstrate that cultural heritage resource configurations in Xinjiang reflect the joint influences of natural environmental parameters and socio-economic development trajectories.References
[1] BHou Y, Kenderdine S, Picca D, et al. Digitizing Intangible Cultural Heritage Embodied. ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, 2022, 15(3): 55.
[2] Selmanović E, Rizvic S, Harvey C, et al. Improving Accessibility to Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation Using Virtual Reality. ACM Journal on Computing and Cultural Heritage, 2020, 13(2): 13.
[3] Vondolia GK, Kusi AM, King SR, et al. Valuing Intangible Cultural Heritage in Developing Countries. Valuing Cultural Capital in the Smart Cities Era, 2022, 14:4484.
[4] Barliana MS, Ilhamdaniah, Adhi N, et al. Contemporary urban design in Denpasar based on Balinese local culture and architecture. City and Built Environment, 2025, 3: 2.
[5] Hasim IS, Widiastuti I, Faisal B, et al. The birth and demise of a village within the vernacular community of Baduy in Banten, Indonesia. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 2025, 14: 127-144.
[6] Feizizadeh B, Fathi S, Ghasmeizad Gonbad Z, et al. A Multiple Geospatial Approach for Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Potentiality Mapping in Iran. Tourism, Culture, and Heritage, 2023, 15: 16659.
[7] Heather PM, Paul DA, Joshua BB. Can Social Vulnerability Indices Predict County Trauma Fatality Rates?. Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, 2021.
[8] Lv Jing, Chai Yu, Hu Xin. Synergistic development of intangible cultural heritage and tourism industry: Empirical experiences from Jilin, China. PLoS ONE, 2025, 20(5): e0313421.
[9] Cai Xiang, Sun Ming. On the Evolution and Influencing Factors of the Resilience Spatial and Temporal Pattern of China's Tourism Industry. Journal of Sichuan Tourism University, 2024: 87-95.
[10] Wang Yu, Fan Zhe, Xu Li, et al. Response and influencing factors of habitat quality and land use change in the Tarim River Basin. Arid Zone Research, 2024, 41(6): 2132-2142.