Spatiotemporal analysis of local elite groups across generations in Zhejiang, China

The relationship between local elite groups and regional cultural evolution across temporal and spatial dimensions has long been critical for understanding how civilizations change. This study employed interdisciplinary methodologies from digital humanities and historical geography to conduct an empirical analysis of 32,207 biographies recorded in local chronicles from the Zhejiang region, spanning the Eastern Zhou Dynasty to the modern era (i.e., 770 BCE–1945 CE). The social composition, achievements, spatial concentration, and diffusion patterns of local elites within the context of different historical periods were of particular interest, alongside their interactions with regional cultural development. It was found that the diversification of local elite types in the Zhejiang region was pronounced, with distinct temporal characteristics, encompassing roles in science and education, politics, literature and art, and medicine. Elites in the field of science and education had the highest probability distribution, accounting for 30.8 per cent, while those in medicine and the military had the lowest, at 13.6 per cent and 12.2 per cent, respectively. The criteria for selecting and recording elite figures changed over time but consistently reflected the trajectory of alterations in mainstream societal values. The importance of cultural heritage and regional characteristics was particularly evident for literature and the arts but was less apparent in science, technology, and education, perhaps due to rapid technological progress and frequent shifts in policy orientation.