Different Patterns of Religious Settlements Based on the Historic Landscape Approach

Cases of Buddhist Grottoes in Hexi Corridor

Bibliographic Data

ID3135327
AuthorsYueying Chen (0000-0003-4486-4217, Xiamen University), H Wu (0000-0002-8560-5046, Dunhuang Research Academy), Wenbin Wei (0000-0001-9813-7555, Lanzhou University, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume15
Issue12
Pages1531
Publication date2024-12-14
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueReligions (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
PublisherMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel15121531
OpenAlexW4405448057
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited25

Religious settlements can reflect regional culture and social development, preserve the continuity of spatial structures over time, sustain social networks, and perpetuate traditions. Buddhist settlements, as a particular type of religious settlement, reflect the social development and daily lives of monks and common people. This study used literature research, field investigations, and GISs to construct a framework of the landscape of religious settlements based on the theory of the historic landscape approach. Buddhist grottoes from the Sixteen Kingdoms Period to the Qing Dynasty (304-1912) in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu Province were selected as a case study, and the patterns of religious settlements were identified. According to the analysis, it was found that religious settlements tended to have large religious buildings at their centre, with small buildings and attachments scattered around. They were close to central cities, with a complete transportation network, and they had relatively stable belief spaces. There were clear boundaries between believers and non-believers in the settlements. Four patterns of religious settlements were also identified according to the relationships between geography, social properties, and cultural connotations. These findings diachronically offer a new perspective on the understanding of religious settlements and steps for improving the inheritance of religious culture

Archaeology · Art · Buddhism · Geography · Human settlement · Sociology · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation · History · Religious Tourism and Spaces · Urban Green Space and Health

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