Administrative power as a visible hand in the spatial distribution patterns of Chinese Weilongwu houses
Source abstract
Abstract
Abstract The role of administrative power in the enduring culture-regime debate is examined through a cultural diffusion case in China using digital archeology. 5698 Weilongwu (WLWs, traditional Hakka houses) objects were detected through remote sensing imagery, and the origin point was estimated. Then conceptual framework of “cultural primacy” and “cultural attenuation” combined with historical administrative features was established to quantitatively analyze the diffusion pattern of these ancient houses. Spatial statistics, incorporating convex hull algorithms and 24-axis directional analysis, quantified and mapped the cultural diffusion trends under the administrative influence. Results indicated that cultural diffusion correlated strongly with historical administrative regions, thriving at the prefecture level but constrained beyond. Findings above suggest administrative power mediated diffusion not through coercion, but by balancing local and imperial governance, ultimate shaping China’s multicultural landscape. The scalable methodology offers broader insights into cultural diffusion, human activity, and natural environments, with applicability to diverse cultural regions.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Archaeological Research and Protection · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (73)
Show source-provided references
1. Kroeber, A. L. & Kluckhohn, C. Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions 147–149 (Peabody Museum, 1952).
2. Carl, O. S. Agriculture Origins and Dispersal (The American Geographical Society, 1952).
3. James, E. M. W. & Oscar, V. Mapping the continuum of humanity’s footprint on land. One Earth 1, 175–180 (2019).10.1016/j.oneear.2019.09.004 ↗
4. Robbeets, M. et al. Triangulation supports agricultural spread of the Transeurasian languages. Nature 599, 616–621 (2021).10.1038/s41586-021-04108-8 ↗
5. Culture: The Diffusion Controversy. Nature 122, 202 (1928).10.1038/122202a0 ↗
6. Edward T. H. The Silent Language (Anchor, 1973).
7. Overton, M. & Campbell, B. M. S. Norfolk livestock farming 1250-1740: a comparative study of manorial accounts and probate inventories. J. Hist. Geogr. 18, 387–390 (1992).10.1016/0305-7488(92)90236-3 ↗
8. Grantham, G. Fraternity among the French peasantry: sociability and voluntary associations in the Loire Valley, 1815–1914. J. Econ. Hist. 60, 866–867 (2000).10.1017/S0022050700025857 ↗
9. Robson, B. T. Urban Growth: An Approach (Routledge, 1973).
10. Burmeister, S. Archaeology and migration: approaches to an archaeological proof of migration. Curr. Anthropol. 41, 539–567 (2000).10.1086/317383 ↗
11. Bouckaert, R. et al. Mapping the origins and expansion of the Indo-European language family. Science 337, 957–960 (2012).10.1126/science.1219669 ↗
12. Yang, C. et al. Large-scale lexical and genetic alignment supports a hybrid model of Han Chinese demic and cultural diffusions. Nat. Hum. Behav. 8, 1163–1176 (2024).10.1038/s41562-024-01886-9 ↗
13. Zhu, K.-Y. et al. Cultural and demic co-diffusion of Tubo Empire on Tibetan Plateau. iScience 25, 105636 (2022).10.1016/j.isci.2022.105636 ↗
14. Fousek, J. et al. Spatial constraints on the diffusion of religious innovations: the case of early Christianity in the Roman Empire. PLoS ONE 13, e0208744 (2018).10.1371/journal.pone.0208744 ↗
15. Zhao, C. Ruminations on administrative border areas [行政边界区域刍论]. Humanit. Geogr. [人文地理]. 45–48 (1996).
16. Duan, S. et al. Disentangling the cultural evolution of ancient China: a digital humanities perspective. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Commun. 10, 310 (2023).10.1057/s41599-023-01811-x ↗
17. Fischer, D. H. Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America (Oxford University Press, 1989).
18. Newman, D. The lines that continue to separate us: borders in our ‘borderless’ world. Prog. Hum. Geogr. 30, 143–161 (2006).10.1191/0309132506ph599xx ↗
19. Rapoport, A. House Form and Culture (Prentice-Hall, 1969).
20. Oliver, P. Built to Meet Needs: Cultural Issues in Vernacular Architecture (Architectural Press, 2006).10.4324/9780080476308 ↗
21. AlSayyad, N. & Bourdier, J.-R. (eds) Dwellings, Settlements and Tradition: Cross-Cultural Perspectives (University Press of America, 1989).
22. Luo, X. Introduction to Hakka Studies [客家研究导论] (Shanghai Literature and Art Press[上海文艺出版社], 1992).
23. Tao, J., Chen, H., Zhang, S. & Xiao, D. Space and culture: isomerism in vernacular dwellings in Meizhou, Guangdong Province, China. J. Asian Archit. Build. Eng. 17, 15–22 (2018).10.3130/jaabe.17.15 ↗
24. Leong, S. T., Wright, T. & Skinner, G. W. Migration and Ethnicity in Chinese History: Hakkas, Pengmin, and Their Neighbors (Stanford University Press, 1997).10.1515/9781503616356 ↗
25. Xie, G., Zhou, Y. & Liu, C. Spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of Hakka traditional villages in Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi, China. Sustainability 14, 12068 (2022).10.3390/su141912068 ↗
26. Lin, X. et al. Quantifying the diffusion history of Yangmingism. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Commun. 11, 514 (2024).10.1057/s41599-024-02999-2 ↗
27. Wu, T. & Dong, Y. YOLO-SE: improved YOLOv8 for remote sensing object detection and recognition. Appl. Sci. 13, 12977 (2023).10.3390/app132412977 ↗
28. Ma, L. et al. Deep learning in remote sensing applications: a meta-analysis and review. ISPRS J. Photogramm. Remote Sens. 152, 166–177 (2019).10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2019.04.015 ↗
29. Liu, Z. Research and Application on Recognition of Typical Plan Morphologies of Fujian Tulou Based on Deep Learning [基于深度学习的福建土楼典型平面形态识别研究及应用]. (Suzhou University[苏州大学], 2021).
30. Qiu, H. C. et al. Research on intelligent monitoring technology for roof damage of traditional Chinese residential buildings based on improved YOLOv8: taking ancient villages in southern Fujian as an example. Herit. Sci. 12, 1 (2024).10.1186/s40494-024-01345-8 ↗
31. Zuo, R., Xiong, Y., Wang, J. & Carranza, E. J. M. Deep learning and its application in geochemical mapping. Earth Sci. Rev. 192, 1–14 (2019).10.1016/j.earscirev.2019.02.023 ↗
32. Ruggiero, G., Parlavecchia, M. & Dal Sasso, P. Typological characterisation and territorial distribution of traditional rural buildings in the Apulian territory (Italy). J. Cult. Herit. 39, 278–287 (2019).10.1016/j.culher.2019.02.012 ↗
33. Monna, F. et al. Deep learning to detect built cultural heritage from satellite imagery: spatial distribution and size of vernacular houses in Sumba, Indonesia. J. Cult. Herit. 52, 171–183 (2021).10.1016/j.culher.2021.10.004 ↗
34. Chao, Z., Zhao, Y., Fang, S. & Chen, D. Spatial diffusion processes of Gelugpa monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibetan areas of China utilizing the multi-level diffusion model. Geo Spat. Inf. Sci. 27, 64–81 (2024).10.1080/10095020.2022.2108345 ↗
35. Li, W. et al. Systematic review: a scientometric analysis of the status, trends and challenges in the application of digital technology to cultural heritage conservation (2019–2024). npj Herit. Sci. 13, 90 (2025).10.1038/s40494-025-01636-8 ↗
36. Miller, T. Explanation in artificial intelligence: insights from the social sciences. Artif. Intell. 267, 1–38 (2019).10.1016/j.artint.2018.07.007 ↗
37. de Filippo, C., Bostoen, K., Stoneking, M. & Pakendorf, B. Bringing together linguistic and genetic evidence to test the Bantu expansion. Proc. Biol. Sci. 279, 3256–3263 (2012).
38. Ryavec, K. E. & Henderson, M. Core-periphery GIS model of the historical growth and spread of Islam in China. Hist. Methods 48, 103–111 (2015).10.1080/01615440.2014.996273 ↗
39. Boucherie, L., Maier, B. F. & Lehmann, S. Decoupling geographical constraints from human mobility. Nat. Hum. Behav. 9, 2564–2575 (2025).10.1038/s41562-025-02282-7 ↗
40. Zhuo, X. A Study on the Cultural Geography of Hakka Traditional Villages and Dwellings in the Border Areas of Jiangxi, Fujian and Guangdong [赣闽粤客家地区传统村落及民居文化地理研究]. PhD thesis, South China University of Technology[华南理工大学] (2022).
41. Ge, J. X., Wu, S. D. & Chao, S. J. The Migration History of China [中国移民史]. (Fujian People’s Publishing House [福建人民出版社], 1997).
42. Guangdong Provincial Cultural Heritage Bureau. Cultural Heritage of Guangdong: List of Immovable Cultural Heritage [广东文化遗产:不可移动文物名录]. (Science Press[科学出版社], 2013).
43. Stevens, C. & Fuller, D. The spread of agriculture in eastern Asia: archaeological bases for hypothetical farmer/language dispersals. Lang. Dyn. Chang. 7, 152–186 (2017).10.1163/22105832-00702001 ↗
44. Leipe, C. et al. Discontinuous spread of millet agriculture in eastern Asia and prehistoric population dynamics. Sci. Adv. 5, eaax6225 (2019).10.1126/sciadv.aax6225 ↗
45. Vaz, E. The future of landscapes and habitats: the regional science contribution to the understanding of geographical space. Habitat Int. 51, 70–78 (2016).10.1016/j.habitatint.2015.10.004 ↗
46. Lee, J., Lay, J., Chin, W. B., Chi, Y. & Hsueh, Y. An experiment to model spatial diffusion process with nearest neighbor analysis and regression estimation. Int. J. Appl. Geospat. Res. 5, 1–15 (2014).10.4018/ijagr.2014010101 ↗
47. Michiani, M. V. & Asano, J. Influence of inhabitant background on the physical changes of Banjarese houses: a case study in Kuin Utara settlement, Banjarmasin, Indonesia. Front. Archit. Res. 5, 412–424 (2016).10.1016/j.foar.2016.09.005 ↗
48. Lee, G. A. in Handbook of East and Southeast Asian Archaeology (eds Habu, J., Lape, P. & Olsen, J.) 451–481 (Springer, 2017).10.1007/978-1-4939-6521-2_28 ↗
49. Jefferson, M. The law of the primate city. Geogr. Rev. 29, 226–232 (1939).10.2307/209944 ↗
50. Zhou, Z. H. Governance of the State [体国经野之道]. (Shanghai People’s Press[上海人民出版社], 2019).
51. Guo Lu, A. Preliminary study on the spatial definition of the Chang’an region in the Tang Dynasty based on activity analysis[基于活动分析的唐长安地区空间界定初探]. J. Urban Reg. Plan.[城市与区域规划研究] 8, 137–161 (2016).
52. Alessandretti, L., Aslak, U. & Lehmann, S. The scales of human mobility. Nature 587, 402–407 (2020).10.1038/s41586-020-2909-1 ↗
53. Götz, F. M. et al. Physical topography is associated with human personality. Nat. Hum. Behav. 4, 1135–1144 (2020).10.1038/s41562-020-0930-x ↗
54. Zhang, G., Zhu, A. X. & Huang, Q. A GPU-accelerated adaptive kernel density estimation approach for efficient point pattern analysis on spatial big data. Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci. 31, 2068–2097 (2017).10.1080/13658816.2017.1324975 ↗
55. Hastie, T., Tibshirani, R. & Friedman, J. The Elements of Statistical Learning (Springer, 2009).10.1007/978-0-387-84858-7 ↗
56. Chen, Y., Shu, B., Amani-Beni, M. & Wei, D. Spatial distribution patterns of rural settlements in the multi-ethnic gathering areas, southwest China: ethnic inter-embeddedness perspective. J. Asian Archit. Build. Eng. 23, 372–385 (2023).10.1080/13467581.2023.2218467 ↗
57. Chen, Y. et al. Exploring the spatial distribution characteristics and formation mechanisms of Hakka folk settlements: a case study of Hakka traditional architecture in southeastern China. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Commun. 12, 380 (2025).10.1057/s41599-025-04561-0 ↗
58. Wu, W. An Iconological Study of the Architectural Form of Weilongw [围龙屋建筑形态的图像学研究]. (China Architecture Publishing Press[中国建筑工业出版社], 2010).
59. Diehl, R. A. Patterns of cultural primacy. Science 307, 1055–1056 (2005).10.1126/science.1109441 ↗
60. Tilly, C. Identities, Boundaries, & Social Ties (Paradigm Publishers, 2005).
61. Hua, L. & Hu, C. Classification of political districts in China through the ages and its practical significance [中国历代政区分等及其现实意义]. China Adm.[中国行政管理] 03. 90–97 (2022).
62. Hara, H. Space: From Function to Form (Phoenix Science and Technology Press, 2017).
63. Barth, F. (ed.) Ethnic Groups and Boundaries: The Social Organization of Culture Difference (Universitets forlaget, 1969).
64. Zhou, X. The Institutional Logic of Governance in China: An Organizational Approach (SDX Joint Publishing Company, 2017).
65. Thubthun, N. & Tansuwanrat, K. Cultural interactions among diverse ethnic groups in a frontier region of a mainstream culture: a case study of Thai Korat, Laotian, and Tai Yuan vernacular houses in the central Lamtakong watershed, Nakhon Ratchasima. Front. Archit. Res. 13, 543–560 (2024).10.1016/j.foar.2024.02.003 ↗
66. Zhou, Z., Jia, Z., Wang, N. & Fang, M. Sustainable mountain village construction adapted to livelihood, topography, and hydrology: a case of Dong villages in southeast Guizhou, China. Sustainability 10, 4619 (2018).10.3390/su10124619 ↗
67. Wang, S., Hou, Y., Zhang, W., Liao, C. & Wang, R. A human geography analysis of the evolution of the urban morphology of ancient Foshan city from the perspective of Cantonese trading culture. J. Asian Archit. Build. Eng. 25, 751–775 (2026).10.1080/13467581.2025.2455029 ↗
68. Russell, B. A. W. The Problem of China (Academia Press, 1999).
69. Barfield, T. J. The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China (Blackwell, 1989).
70. Akira, F. (Hiroshi Hara) Sekai Shūraku no Kyōji 100 [世界集落の教示100] Learning from the World’s Settlements 100 (Gihodo Shuppan [技報堂出版], 2003).
71. Fawcett, C. Frontiers: a Study in Political Geography (Oxford University Press, 1918).
72. Fischer, E. On boundaries. World Polit. 1, 196–222 (1948).10.2307/2008843 ↗
73. Deutschmann, E., Gabrielli, L. & Recchi, E. Roads, rails, and checkpoints: assessing the permeability of nation-state borders worldwide. World Dev. 164, 106175 (2023).10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.106175 ↗