Spatio-temporal distribution patterns and influencing factors of Hakka traditional villages in Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong

The Hakka people are an important sub-group within the Han nationality. They live in the area where Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangdong provinces meet, where rich traditional village (TV) resources remain. Studying the spatio-temporal characteristics and formation causes of Hakka TV, it serves as a scientific foundation supporting the preservation, development and cultural inheritance of Hakka TV. The study selected 217 national-level Hakka TV from six batches since 2012 as research objects. Using methods such as the nearest neighbor index (NNI), kernel density analysis (KDA), standard deviation ellipses (SDE), and geographic detector models (GDM), this research offers a systematic analysis of the spatio-temporal distribution models and formative mechanisms of villages. Results indicate: (1) Hakka TV are concentrated, forming four high-density core regions in western Fujian, the border area between Fujian and Guangdong, northern Guangdong and southern Jiangxi. (2) Geographical detector analysis reveals that the pattern of traditional village distribution results from the interplay of multiple factors, including natural, social and cultural influences.Among them, the impact of regional GDP and precipitation is the greatest.Hakka TV are concentrated on a large scale at the junction of the three provinces, reflecting the effect of shelters in administrative margins. There exists a synergistic enhancement effect between natural and human factors. It is demonstrated that the formation of village layout is more in line with the mechanism framework of “multi-factor coupling drive”.This research offers theoretical underpinnings and decision-making guidance to support the systematic preservation and sustainability of Hakka TV.