Spatial gene variation mechanism based on rural tourism for traditional villages in Southern Shanxi, China / Li Yanan

Li , Yanan (2025) Spatial gene variation mechanism based on rural tourism for traditional villages in Southern Shanxi, China / Li Yanan. PhD thesis, Universiti Malaya.

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Abstract

Rural tourism, owing to its significant economic benefits, has become an almost indispensable option for the development of traditional villages in China, particularly under the national policies of rural revitalization and poverty alleviation. The advantage of rural tourism in traditional villages lies in their spatial environment, which has been refined over time and embodies the wisdom of the local people. The charm of this spatial environment is rooted in the intergenerational inheritance of spatial genes. However, as an external factor, rural tourism inevitably impacts the spatial environment of traditional villages and affects the continuity of these spatial genes. Many problems induced by rural tourism such as spatial homogenization, decreasing number, and weakening of social ties in traditional villages have been confirmed by previous studies, making the spatial variation of traditional villages caused by rural tourism that must be studied. This study borrows the concept of spatial genes from human geography to explore how rural tourism, as an external factor, changes traditional villages' spatial genes. This thesis aims to establish a spatial variation mechanism framework for traditional villages due to rural tourism that will ensure the continuity of the spatial environment of traditional villages genetically. Because local villagers are the creators, users, and continuers of spatial genes, this study adopted a villager-centered mixed research methodology, including questionnaires, UAV observation, and semi-structured interviews. Finally, the spatial variation mechanism framework was developed through triangulation by comparing and validating questionnaires, UAV observations, and interview data. The research data of this study are based on four traditional villages in southern Shanxi, China. Initially, a questionnaire survey is conducted to validate 13 indicators of rural tourism'simpact on the spatial environment of traditional villages in economic, social, and cultural dimensions, and find out the effect parameters of each indicator. Subsequently, the spatial condition of the four traditional villages was acquired through UAV observation. Then semi-structured interviews probed the villagers' intrinsic motivations behind spatial changes. Finally, by comparing and verifying these three kinds of data through the triangulation method to identify the indicators of spatial variation in traditional villages and quantify their impact levels, alongside uncovering the intrinsic causes of such changes. This process elucidates the mechanism of spatial variation in traditional villages, thereby informing a villager-centered guidance framework for tourism development within traditional villages to ensure the continuity of spatial genes and contribute to the sustainable development of traditional villages based on rural tourism.

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