Socio-cultural roots of rural settlement dispersion in Sichuan Basin: The perspective of Chinese lineage

Abstract

Rural settlement pattern in Sichuan Basin, whatever the terrain, is an extraordinary dispersion, i.e. ‘diffuse and dense in spatial distribution’, and ‘uniform and small in size’. From the perspective of Chinese lineage, a regional comparison was elaborately conducted between Sichuan Basin and a typical area characterized by lineage culture in Southern China, to reveal the socio-cultural roots of the rural settlement dispersion (RSD). Regional differences were articulated by field surveys, including 698 household questionnaires and in-depth investigations on four case villages. Statistical analysis by 431 villages indicated the RSD in Sichuan Basin was positively associated with the lineage diversity and cultivation rate. We deduced that a trigger event of the lineage diversification and high cultivation rate was the rapid immigration into Sichuan Basin in early Qing Dynasty. It is portrayed that Sichuan Basin deviates from the lineage society of traditional China. The settlement dispersal and high cultivation rate represent an aggressive paradigm of land-use strategy. Our findings highlight the role of lineage in determining rural settlement patterns which mirror the socio-cultural fabrics in traditional China. This study would provide new insights into the understanding of rural settlement patterns and offer valuable policy implications for land use transitions in urbanizing China.