Study on Human Settlement Environment in Dai Traditional Villages of Different Regions

Abstract

Traditional village is the most basic and fundamental unit in the traditional agricultural society of China, and the concept of this human settlement space has been a long-term concern for researchers. This paper analyses the Dai traditional villages in different regions of Yunnan Province in China, and summarizes their ethnic and regional characteristics and the influencing factors. Furthermore, the sustainable development concept is discussed from the methods of human settlement environment, cultural geography and architectural typology. The conclusions are as follows: (1) Dai traditional villages share a common sustainable development concept of human settlements, which is reflected in the environmental, village and residential spaces. (2) The villages reflect the ecological concept of respecting nature, adapting measures to local conditions and harmonious coexistence. (3) The primitive belief and Theravada Buddhism of Dai nationality constitute a “Two-in-One” religious form, which determines the unique spatial pattern and human settlement ideas. (4) In the history of Dai nationality’s migration along rivers, many settlement areas have been formed in similar or even the same environments, and the villages show the original ethnic attributes and different regional attributes. (5) The similarities and differences between ethnic and regional characteristics of Dai villages are mainly affected by the combined effects of “nature, religion, human”, which has also created a unique and sustainable ideology of Dai human settlement environment, until today still has a strong vitality.