Rural Decline Research Articles

Revealing the rural multifunctionality declining and its causes in depopulated regions of Northeast China: a case study of Heilongjiang Province

As the main form of global rural decline, the impact of rural population loss on the overall level and trend of rural multifunction is still unclear. Thus, it is crucial to reveal the characteristics and influencing factors of rural multifunction changes in depopulation areas which is important to actively deal with depopulation and promote sustainable development in rural areas. Based on an evaluation of rural multifunctionality from 2000 to 2020, the spatial statistical analysis method and a geographical model were used to reveal the declining characteristics of rural multifunction in the depopulation area, as well as the effects of the influencing factors in the whole region and under various population size areas. The results show that demographic changes had a significant impact on rural multifunction development. Compared to areas with population growth, the weakening of rural multifunctionality was more likely to occur in counties with depopulation. The negative impact of population shrinkage on rural multifunction development was shown in our results as an inverted “U” shape. In the process of demographic shrinkage, the dominant factors affecting rural multifunctionality in the whole region tended to be diversified, but the population urbanization rate was always the main factor. Among regions with different population sizes, natural factors played important roles in the development of rural multifunction, and depopulation enhanced the impact of economic factors. The interaction effect of natural, social, and economic factors was stronger than that of a single factor in rural multifunction. In the process of depopulation, the interaction effect was more and more polarized. The interaction effect of economic and natural factors enhanced, but which was the most stable in mid-population-size areas. Thus, to alleviate rural decline and realize rural revitalization, the trend of demographic change should be given attention to keep a moderate population size, as well as we should actively deal with the impact of population shrinkage on rural multifunction according to different stages of population shrinkage.

Digitalisation as a Challenge for Smart Villages: The Case of Poland

Rural areas face several development challenges. Some lead to rural decline—such as depopulation—and others are intended to counteract this by revitalising the countryside—such as digitalisation. These two processes are on the agenda of the European Union’s new rural development concept, smart villages. The study aims to identify the spatial differentiation of the digitalisation challenge in Polish rural areas. An attempt was made to operationalise two aspects of this challenge—access to fast Internet and digital competence. The subject of the analysis covered rural areas in Poland at the municipal level. The temporal scope of the study is defined by two approaches—static and dynamic. The first aims to show the state of the ‘here and now,’ while the second aims to identify the change intensity. Methods of multivariate comparative analysis were used, resulting in hierarchical classifications of municipalities. The results show significant regional differentiation. Municipalities with predominantly ageing populations face greater difficulties in adopting new digital technologies. Overcoming these disparities will be key to improving the quality of life and resilience of rural communities. The study results provide evidence to justify the need for place-based targeted digital investments under the smart villages programmes.

A Review of Value Realization and Rural Revitalization of Eco-Products: Insights for Agroforestry Ecosystem in Karst Desertification Control

Amid global rural decline, the main approach to rural revitalization (RR) is to transform rural ecological resources into development advantages by means of ecological product value realization (EPVR). The fragility of the karst ecological environment limits the development of the karst countryside, and agroforestry is an important way to achieve the ecological protection and economic development of the karst countryside. At present, research on EPVR and RR is rapidly developing. Although there is an increasing number of publications on EPVR and RR separately, the literature on their comprehensive analysis is lacking, and how the karst agroforestry ecosystem can be improved is unclear. The objective of this is to provide an overview of the current research status and challenges of EPVR and RR in order to optimize agroforestry ecosystems in karst desertification control (KDC). This paper systematically analyzed 263 relevant articles on EPVR and RR, and the results are as follows: (1) The number of studies increased exponentially after 2017. The research has primarily focused on the relationship between EPVR and RR, as well as the EPVR and the formation mechanisms of the eco-industry and value accounting of eco-products, which account for 95.53% of the total literature. China has published the most research in this area. At the intercontinental scale, this research is mainly concentrated in East Asia, Europe, and North America. (2) The main progress and landmark achievements in the research on EPVR and RR are summarized. Four key scientific questions that need to be addressed in the future are presented. (3) The above information highlights the three key areas for improving the agroforestry ecosystem in karst desertification control (KDC): the value accounting of eco-products, EPVR, and RR. This study found that EPVR and RR can improve the karst agroforestry ecosystem and further promote rural development, providing significant insights for the overall revitalization of rural areas worldwide and the scientific control of karst desertification.

The impact of multiplex relationships on households’ informal farmland transfer in rural China: A network perspective

Over the last three decades, farmland transfers in rural China have significantly increased. Despite this rise, informal farmland transfers within social networks continue to be common in many villages, underscoring the need for a more nuanced understanding of their determinants. Existing literature extensively explores the influence of social networks on farmland transfers, it often overlooks the distinction between formal and informal transactions and primarily focuses on binary relationships. Limited data availability and constraints in econometric methodology have impeded quantitative estimation of the impact of farmers’ interactions on informal farmland transfers at the local levels. To address this issue, we developed a framework that integrates embeddedness theory and social interaction theory to uncover the mechanism between multiplex relationship and informal farmland transfers from a network perspective. Using survey data collected from all 341 households in a village in central China, we constructed both relationship networks and informal farmland transfer network among peasant households. We then employed the logistic regression quadratic assignment procedure (LRQAP) to quantify the impact of multiplex relationships and network structures on informal farmland transfers. The results reveal a significant positive correlation between multiplex relationships and informal farmland transfer behaviors among peasant households. Specifically, households are more likely to engage in informal farmland transfer through relationships characterized by emotional connections and reciprocal exchanges, rather than through relationships based on cooperative support. Furthermore, our findings indicate that multiplex relationships influence informal farmland transfer behaviors through network structure effects, such as reciprocity and preferential attachment, rather than through transitivity. These results highlight the importance of leveraging multiplex relationships to facilitate and regulate informal farmland transfers amid rural decline and land use change.

Is a Rural Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Conducive to the Improvement of Entrepreneurial Performance? Evidence from Typical Counties of Rural Entrepreneurship and Innovation in China

Rural entrepreneurship is an important means to solve the problem of “rural decline” and is also the focus of the “rural revitalization” strategy. The rural entrepreneurship ecosystem directly affects entrepreneurial performance. Based on the configurational perspective, using the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) method, taking 85 typical rural innovation and entrepreneurship demonstration counties in China as research samples, this study explores the impact path of the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem composed of multiple factors on entrepreneurial performance and the complex causal mechanisms behind it. The results show that market size, human capital, financial capital, infrastructure (both hardware and software), and government scale cannot individually constitute the necessary conditions for high or non-high rural entrepreneurial performance; there exist two pathways driving high entrepreneurial performance in rural areas: a market-driven financing-and-intelligence integration pathway and a government-supported infrastructure-assisted pathway. Under certain conditions, there is a substitution relationship between rural entrepreneurial market allocation and government intervention; there are two paths driving non-high rural entrepreneurial performance, which are summarized into market–financing suppression and market–government suppression according to the core driving factors. By systematically analyzing the impact of the rural entrepreneurial ecosystem on entrepreneurial performance, and explaining the intrinsic logic and path of high and non-high entrepreneurial performance based on the configurational perspective, this paper provides a decision-making reference for further enhancing the entrepreneurial performance in rural China and realizing rural revitalization.

Addressing Rural Decline: China’s Practices in Rural Transformation and Farmers’ Income Growth

In the context of global rural decline, fostering endogenous momentum through rural transformation to increase farmers’ incomes is a challenge that nations worldwide must address. This study utilizes the 2022 “China Rural Micro-Economic Data” to construct a multidimensional rural transformation index system at the village level, encompassing demographic, land, industrial, social, digital, and ecological transformations. This study evaluates the levels of rural transformation across 15 surveyed provinces in China. Furthermore, it empirically examines the impact of rural transformation on farmers’ incomes, the underlying mechanisms, and the heterogeneity of different transformation models. The findings are as follows: (1) Coastal economically developed regions exhibit higher levels of rural transformation, while inland agricultural provinces show significant lag; (2) Rural transformation effectively promotes the upgrading of agricultural value chains, increases farmers’ market participation, and enhances their access to financial services, thereby boosting farmers’ incomes; and (3) The impact of different transformation models on farmers’ incomes varies significantly; industrial, social, and demographic transformations contribute most prominently to income growth. While digital transformation shows some positive effects, it remains relatively limited. Land and ecological transformations have yet to demonstrate a significant positive impact on farmers’ incomes.

농촌 방문객, 그들은 관계인구인가 관광객인가?: 농촌 관계인구 특성에 관한 탐색적 연구

Purpose: This study examines the value of ‘relational population’ as a way to counteract rural decline. Rural areas are spaces of diverse values, but due to population decline, rural areas are facing a weakening of the community base and the disappearance of localities. The concept of relational population is introduced in the process of shifting policy goals from quantitative to qualitative population expansion. Methods: This study surveyed 3,000 adults to estimate the size of the rural relational population, examine their activity behaviour and institutional support, and analyse the differences in activity behaviour between rural relational population and rural tourists. Results: As a result, four groups were identified: (1) the rural relational population, (2) rural tourists, (3) potential relational population, and (4) the unrelational population. Among them, the rural relational population was found to utilise local social ties to stay for a longer period of time compared to one-time tourists. On the other hand, tourists have superficial behaviour in terms of using local social networks and low intention to stay. On the other hand, the majority of people are unrelational and preliminary relational population, and it seems that institutional support such as environmental improvement and urban-rural exchange policies are needed to expand population. Conclusion: Based on the findings, the study explored ways to expand the relational population in terms of policy and institutions, and proposed various practical tasks to revitalize rural areas in various ways.

Impact of structural dependence on the formation of multi-subject collaborative network for comprehensive land consolidation

Rural decline is a common challenge facing the world, and it is imperative to revitalize the world's countryside. As an essential platform and means to promote rural revitalization, comprehensive land consolidation (CLC) is characterized by diverse governance subjects and a multi-subject collaborative network has been formed in its implementation process. Prior research primarily investigates the role of exogenous mechanisms in shaping multi-subject collaborative relationships, often overlooking endogenous mechanisms, namely the endogenous structural dependence of the multi-subject collaborative network itself. In this study, the research dimensions and levels of the CLC multi-subject collaborative network were combed out, and the influence mechanism of structural dependence on the formation of this network was analyzed. Taking the CLC pilot projects in 11 counties (cities and districts) in Hubei Province, China, as study cases, this study empirically examined the impact of structural dependence on forming the CLC multi-subject collaborative network using the exponential random graph model. The results show that the formation of the CLC multi-subject collaborative network was significantly influenced by endogenous mechanisms, such as reciprocal and triangular structures, and exhibited prominent path-dependent characteristics. In addition, structural dependence significantly weakened the influence effect of exogenous mechanisms, and ignoring endogenous mechanisms led to a decrease in the interpretability and credibility of exogenous mechanisms. Based on these findings, this study puts forward corresponding policy recommendations. This study provides theoretical insights and decision-making references for promoting effective collaboration among multiple subjects and enhancing the effectiveness of CLC. It also provides China’s experience and reference for other developing countries to establish a multi-subject collaboration model for land consolidation.

The impact on ecosystem services from rural revitalization activity in China Shandong Province, from a human well-being perspective of local residential

Rural decline is a global concern, and Ecosystem Services (ES) play a crucial role in both rural revitalization and the Human Well-being (HW) of residents. This study investigated 9 revitalization cases in Shandong province, China, employing both quantitative and qualitative methods. It confirmed the effect on HW based on ES, using a comprehensive assessment framework covering local ecosystem services contribution and economic/social effect derived from the Millennium Ecosystem Service Assessment (MA) and Japan Biodiversity Outlook (JBO) and consolidated variations into four ES dimensions from a HW perspective. As a result, 4 common types of rural revitalization were identified: (A) Large-scale Agriculture, (B) Local Specialty/Brand Making, (C) Industry Integration, and (D) Urbanization Village, based on actors, core industries, and key revitalization activities. According to interviews with local residents, the residents express high levels of satisfaction with revitalization activities. Using TOPSIS analysis, we found that urbanization-led revitalization (D) excels in “economic/social” dimensions but falls short in “Interaction with nature and health" and “Life and culture with nature." In contrast, agriculture-based revitalization activities (A and B) offer a more balanced impact across various ES dimensions. The well-being of residents varies depending on how they utilize and connect with nature. These findings underscore the potential of large-scale agricultural development to address rural population decline and suggest that fostering a positive exchange of ES, HW and capital between rural and urban areas can enhance the resilience of the rural-urban system. These insights are especially relevant for addressing the urban-rural imbalances in developing countries experiencing urban expansion and rural decline.

Examining the Effects of High Poverty and Unemployment on Rural Urban Migration in Nigeria and its Consequences on Urban Resources and Rural Decline

This study examines the intricate interplay among poverty, unemployment, education, and rural-urban migration in Nigeria, employing both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS software, computing descriptive and inferential statistics such as regression analysis. Quantitative findings reveal income inequality, with many individuals earning below average. Education emerges as a key determinant of economic opportunities, with higher education associated with better outcomes. Moreover, poverty and unemployment exhibit a strong positive correlation with adverse outcomes, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Qualitative insights delve into the motivations behind rural-urban migration, shedding light on the economic drivers compelling individuals to seek opportunities in urban areas. Participants’ narratives uncover the challenges faced by migrants, from housing to accessing essential services. Additionally, the role of remittances in sustaining sending communities is highlighted, underscoring their significance. This study underscores the multidimensionality of poverty, unemployment, and migration and emphasizes the need for holistic, evidence-based approaches to promote inclusive development. Recommendations include investments in education, job creation, social safety nets, income inequality reduction, and support for migrant integration. These measures can contribute to equitable economic growth and improved well-being in Nigeria.

Spatial–Temporal Evolution, Impact Mechanisms, and Reclamation Potential of Rural Human Settlements in China

In China’s pursuit of modernization, the government has introduced the rural revitalization strategy to combat rural decline, foster balanced urban–rural development, and reduce the urban–rural gap. Rural human settlements, as key components of this strategy, play a vital role. This paper examines the types and characteristics of human–earth relationships within rural settlements, emphasizing their significance. Using national land use and population census data, we analyze the spatiotemporal evolution of rural settlements at the county level, investigating landscape pattern changes, assessing the degree of coupling coordination between rural population and settlements, categorizing relationship types and features, and estimating the potential for remediation. Our findings reveal a growing trend in the scale of rural human settlements, particularly sourced from arable land, with significant expansions observed in the North China Plain and Northeast Plain, indicating potential for farmland reclamation and village consolidation. Landscape patterns of rural human settlements exhibit increased fragmentation, complex shapes, and aggregation. We categorize the utilization of rural human settlements into two types, each with four distinct features: human–land coordination is observed in regions characterized by either a higher rural population and larger rural settlement areas, or lower rural population and smaller rural settlement areas. Human–land trade-offs are evident in areas where there is either a higher rural population and smaller rural settlement areas, or lower rural population and larger rural settlement areas. This provides valuable insights for the Chinese government’s context-specific implementation of the rural revitalization strategy. It also serves as an experiential reference for the governance of rural human settlements in other developing countries.

Questioning the Covid-19-induced ‘counterurbanisation story’: Discourse coalitions in the promotion of a new counterurban movement in the Austrian public media

The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has led to a discursive change in the representation of urban-rural mobilities in the Austrian public media. Before the pandemic, a narrative of ‘rural decline’ had dominated the media discourse. Media have since changed this narrative to one of counterurbanisation as a result of the (perceived) effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on residential location choices. However, in contrast to media perceptions, scientific debates were more reluctant to identify a Covid-induced counterurban movement. In this paper, we take the opposition between the media representation and the scientific evidence as a starting point for a critical investigation of the media representation of counterurbanisation in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the approach of discourse coalitions, we investigated the actors and the coalitions they had formed to promote a Covid-induced ‘counterurbanisation story’. We could identify two coalitions that created two variations of the Covid-induced ‘counterurbanisation story’: a prudent and an idealised discourse. These two discourses were promoted by different actors with different interests. Through our findings, the paper adds another layer to study of the construction of a ‘counterurbanisation story’.

RURAL INHABITANTS IN THE PERSPECTIVE OF LABOUR MARKET CHALLENGES

The study delves into the nuanced challenges rural inhabitants face within the contemporary labour market landscape. As rural areas experience dynamic socio-economic shifts, this research aims to comprehensively understand the intricate intersection between rural livelihoods and emerging labour market trends. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study investigates the constraints and opportunities in accessing and thriving within the labour market. The methodology includes pointing out the impact of megatrends described within the Horizon 2020 RURALIZATION project on the labour market and reviewing the research topics addressed during the XVII Congress of the European Association of Agricultural Economists 2024. The megatrends identified include an ageing population, the influence of globalisation, the ramifications of urbanisation, environmental stewardship, climate change concerns, efforts to counteract unequal development and rural decline, the surge in food demand, infrastructural considerations, regional accessibility, and connectedness, as well as the evolving patterns of migration. The review of contributions provided to the XVII EAAE Congress underscores the significance of addressing the inflow and outflow of the labour force in agriculture. Delving into specific aspects such as farm succession and the various factors influencing these processes, including the impact of agricultural policies, further solidifies the assertion that labour supply in rural areas holds paramount importance within agricultural economic research.

Lead exposure in Chinese children: Urbanization lowers children's blood lead levels (BLLs)

Lead is a toxic metal that can pose a huge threat to children's health. China has experienced rapid urbanization since the reform in 1978; however, there has been no examination of the potential influence of this urbanization on children's blood lead levels (BLLs). This study is the initial investigation to explore the correlation between urbanization and BLLs in Chinese children. Five windows of time are considered: pre-2000, 2001–2005, 2006–2010, 2011–2015 and 2016–2021. The results show that urbanization affected lead distribution in urban soil and agricultural soil during the above periods, especially in northern China. The higher non-carcinogenic risk of lead for children is consistent with the lead pollution in soil (3 < Igeo ≤ 4). Urban children's BLLs are slightly higher than those of rural children in 2001–2010, but rural children's BLLs in 2011–2021 are higher than those of urban children during China's urbanization. The areas of rural decline and the areas of urban growth increased across all the window periods. However, the BLLs decrease in all rural and urban areas during all window periods, especially in urban areas. Children's BLLs have a significantly negative correlation with urban areas (p < 0.01). Therefore, China's urbanization has a significant effect on the decrease in children's BLLs. The significance of this study is to provide a fresh perspective and innovative strategy for policymaking in order to reduce children's BLLs and prevent lead exposure. This can be achieved by transforming their external living environment from a rural lifestyle to an urban one, while also ensuring access to well education and maintaining a balanced nutrient intake.

Rural Decline and Spatial Voting Patterns

Abstract How does rural decline affect electoral politics? A well-known argument is that the growing geographical polarisation of populations between prospering major cities and declining hinterlands is emerging as a cleavage of electoral politics in developed countries. But prior work has focussed on specific outcomes of rural decline rather than examining whether the geographical distribution of political attitudes and behaviours within countries has become more uneven in the last decades. Using a measure of party nationalisation capturing spatial differences in electoral support across districts in OECD countries over the last 60 years, we find that a declining rural population increases differences in the geographical distribution of partisan support within countries. Nationalisation determines a party’s orientation toward distribution of public resources and support for region-specific interests.

A novel framework to evaluate urban-rural coordinated development: A case study in Shanxi Province, China

The coexistences of urban diseases and rural decline threaten the achievements of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). China, experiencing rapid urbanization recently, is facing the prominent issues of unbalanced and inadequate development. Accordingly, the Chinese government has launched new-type urbanization (NU) and rural vitalization (RV) strategies. After illustrating the coupling mechanism of NU and RV strategies, a novel framework that combines a multidimensional development index (MDI) and the modified coupling degree model (MCDM) is proposed to delineate urban-rural coordinated development. Taking Shanxi Province as an example, multi-source data are incorporated into NU and RV evaluation subsystems. MDI is introduced to evaluate the comprehensive performance of NU and RV, which overcomes the restriction of ordinary linear weighting method that assumes the independence of elements. MCDM is developed to estimate coordinated relationships of urban and rural development. Results show that only two cities are in the extreme coupling stage according to MCDM, which demonstrates it can effectively differentiate the degree of urban-rural integration, whereas the original model potentially overestimates the coupling degree. The effectiveness of the framework is validated in our empirical analysis, which can be applied to evaluate the performance and coordination among multiple subsystems in other fields.

Rural housing-jobs synergy at the county level in mountainous and hilly areas of China: Spatio-temporal pattern and driving mechanism

Rural decline is a severe global problem. The sustainable development of rural areas is in jeopardy due to rapid migration out of rural areas and the separation of rural housing and jobs. Rural housing-jobs synergy (RHJS) is conducive to promoting high-quality and sustainable development of rural areas. Based on rural permanent population, rural employment population, and rural working-age population data from 2007 to 2020, this study applied spatial autocorrelation analysis and Geodetector model to explore the spatio-temporal pattern and driving factors of RHJS at the county scale in Chongqing. Results showed that RHJS in Chongqing demonstrated a steady upward trend and showed spatial heterogeneity. The spatial layout of RHJS was characterized by spatial agglomeration. RHJS hotspots are all located in the yuzhong district and has advantages in terms of its natural resource environment and market placement, while the coldspots are concentrated in the northeast of Chongqing with generally poor conditions. The internal drivers of county RHJS have gradually shifted from a mix of resource-environmental factors and economic factors to a combination of economic factors and social public service factors, with the influence of social public service factors increasing. Market location was the main external driving factor for RHJS, and the influence of technological innovation factors is growing. The degree of influence of the selected variables in each driver on RHIS varies spatially and temporally, and improving RHIS can be accomplished by optimizing the industrial structure, boosting investment in science and technology, and improving the quality of social public services such as healthcare. The proximity of provincial capital cities, the income ratio of urban and rural residents, and the altitude have a significant negative effect on the regional divergence, they are the main variables affecting the RHJS divergence. These findings will assist decision-makers in developing future rural sustainable development policies for the construction of livable and employable villages and optimize rural areas spatial structures by RHJS situation and its driving factors in various regions of counties in mountainous and hilly ecologically fragile areas, and also serve as a useful reference for sustainable a rural development research in other developing countries.

In search of strategies for rural revitalization in China: Puhan’s approach to sustainable community development

Abstract Despite the central government’s rural reconstruction programme targeting rural villages, rural communities in contemporary China continue to face massive social, economic, and environmental challenges. This paper reports on a case study of a farmers’ cooperative in Puhan. Continual rural decline, alongside national economic reform and rural community development, provide the context for the case study. Well known to rural community development scholars in China, the Puhan cooperative represents an island of rural revitalization in a sea of rural decline. The paper begins with a discussion of the background to the study, the research design and objectives, and participatory observation method employed. Thereafter, it discusses sustainable community development and provides an analysis of the way in which the community development approach facilitates the attainment of sustainable development goals generally and in Puhan in particular. Focusing on the broader context of rural development in the context of national top-down policy-driven change, it examines the Puhan cooperative’s contribution to rural revitalization and the strengths and challenges encountered, given its adoption of bottom-up, grassroots community development. By outlining the lessons learnt from this case study research, the paper aims to enrich knowledge on the community development approach, sustainable community development, and rural revitalization in contemporary China.

Unlocking the potential of knowledge economy for rural resilience: The role of digital platforms

Due to urban-centric development paradigms, actors in the rural business ecosystem and related interaction spaces have become adrift, resulting in the fragility of the rural knowledge economy (K. E.) and rural decline. Diverse organizations, including not-for-profits, civil societies, private agencies, and cooperatives, have taken cognizance of this significant issue and have promoted platform-based enterprises. While the literature emphasizes the role of digital platforms in strengthening rural resilience, it does not elaborate on the underlying mechanism. Consequently, the relationship between the K. E. spaces topologically mapped on the platform, contributing to increased actor interaction and rural resilience, remains underexplored. This motivates us to pose a fundamental question: Can digital platforms operating in rural areas function as K.E. spaces and foster actor interactions to strengthen rural resilience? Theoretically grounded in network externality theory, the triple-helix model, and the Resilience Assessment Benchmarking and Impact Toolkit framework, this study adopts a multiple case study approach utilizing literature synthesis, archival sources, and primary data from key informants of selected platform organizations operational in rural areas. The findings show that K. E. spaces enrich the rural knowledge economy by onboarding missing actors and augmenting proximity. This leads to increased actor interactions and enhanced rural resilience. This study proposes an emergent framework expositing a nexus between digital platforms, K. E. spaces, and rural resilience attributes and contributes to the growing body of rural resilience literature.

Research Progress on Protection and Development of Traditional Villages in China

The crisis of rural decline has become a global problem all over the world and an important part of the global governance system. The protection and development of traditional villages have become an important issue of social concern. At present, the protection of traditional villages in China has entered the stage of scientific research from the stage of investigation. By reviewing, sorting out and analyzing the research results of various scholars, this paper puts forward some thoughts for the follow-up research direction of the protection and development of traditional villages, and provides some ideas for inheriting and promoting rural traditional culture and cracking the crisis of rural decay.