Page 102 - JCAU-5-4

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Cultural landscape in Huizhou City

3.2.2. Cultural landscape area of traditional villages from each other, forming a picturesque scene of scattered
in the Central Dongjiang Basin Plain villages across the landscape.
The Central Dongjiang Basin Plain Traditional Villages The landscape space of traditional villages in the
Cultural Landscape Area is located in the central north plains of the Central Dongjiang Basin is characterized by
of Huizhou City, encompassing villages and towns in sparse rows and streets (Figure 6). Villages in this cultural
Huicheng District, Boro County, and Huiyang District, landscape area mainly take regular blocks, often separated
through which the Dongjiang River flows. The landscape into several blocks by river networks or reservoirs. The
pattern of this cultural landscape area is characterized texture of the village blocks typically follows a comb
by a vast plain and a close water connection. The region layout, consisting of neatly arranged buildings of the same
features a dense river network and generally gentle terrain, shape. The village buildings uniformly face one direction,
primarily consisting of river alluvial plains with some and the streets and lanes are horizontal and vertical,
mountains and hills in the north. Due to favorable natural maintaining an orderly layout mostly in the longitudinal
geographical conditions, the cultural landscape area has a direction. They extend with a long and straight depth,
deep-rooted history of village settlement and development. distributed in parallel among the village clusters and
Given the smaller topographic barrier with the Pearl River vertically connected to the squares in front of the ancestral
Delta Guangfu area, the cultural landscape area generally halls. The landscape unit of this cultural landscape area is
exhibits relatively strong Guangfu cultural characteristics. characterized by independent houses and extensive water
At the same time, the Dongjiang River mainstem traverses ponds. The main architectural form of village houses is the
the entire region from west to east, establishing connections three-room, two-porch design with multiple courtyards,
with the Pearl River Delta and the Hakka region of Heyuan. which is characteristic of Guangfu. Some villages also
However, there are certain regional differences from east feature Hakka-style row houses, arranged independently
to west along the Dongjiang River mainstem. The eastern and neatly around the ancestral halls. The agricultural
and central parts showcase more typical Guangfu culture, landscape in this cultural landscape area is dominated by
while the western part reflects the influence of Hakka paddy fields and fishponds distributed along the rivers.
immigrant culture, presenting a certain degree of cultural Some villages combine fishpond farming with crop
landscape characteristics indicative of Guangzhou-Hakka cultivation to develop mulberry fish pond, showcasing the
fusion. The overall terrain of this cultural landscape is flat, unique agricultural landscape characteristics of Guangfu
and villages are mostly located in river plains or alluvial villages.
plains near the Dongjiang River and its tributaries. The
flat terrain and sufficient water sources are advantageous 3.3.3. Cultural landscape area of traditional villages
for village development and construction. Consequently, in the South Central Xizhi River Basin Plain
most of the villages in this cultural landscape area are large The South Central Xizhi River Basin Plain Traditional
in scale and have a high distribution density. Despite their Villages Cultural Landscape Area is located in the south-
density, villages maintain certain boundaries and distances central part of Huizhou City, encompassing villages and

Figure 6. Landscape illustration of the traditional village cultural landscape area in the Central Dongjiang Basin Plain. Source: Drawing by the authors

Volume 5 Issue 4 (2023) 10 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.1311