Research on Location and Morphological Characteristics of Traditional Settlements along Xijing Ancient Road

Abstract

Ancient post road is the channel of material and information transmission in ancient China, which has the function of migration and cultural exchange. Xijing Ancient Road is one of the ancient post roads in Guangdong. It has a large span from north to south, and settlements along the road have different location and morphological characteristics. This paper analyzed the data of 113 traditional settlements along Xijing Ancient Road by using Google Earth and ArcGIS. It is found that the site of villages has the trend to distribute in the high elevation district, settled on the gentle slope and close to the foot of mountain. From the perspective of village morphology, most of the villages are massive. The street texture of the settlements in the north of the ancient road is grid-like, while the lanes in the south of the ancient road are mainly transverse. Different natural environment along the Xijing Ancient Road is the basic influencing factor, and the complex and diverse immigration backgrounds are the key influencing factors. Both of the two factors work together to lead to the diversity of traditional settlements along the Xijing Ancient Road.