Page 24 - JCAU-7-1

Journal of Chinese
Architecture and Urbanism Spatial syntax of temple heritage

acting as a secondary platform extending toward the 2020). The most frequently employed analysis techniques
Chengdu plain. The terrain within the prefecture is highly include axis analysis, field of view analysis, and convex space
diverse, featuring rugged high mountains and deep valleys. analysis. Among these methods, axis analysis and field of
It is characterized by a high elevation in the north and a view analysis are particularly suitable for analyzing urban
lower elevation in the south, with a central protrusion. and settlement spaces. Furthermore, auxiliary methods
In addition, the terrain rises to the west and descends such as line segment analysis and the utilization of spatial
toward the east. In terms of water systems, the prefecture surrogate robots are frequently utilized to enhance analysis
is traversed by three major tributaries: the Jinsha River, precision and efficiency (Wang, 2021).
Yalong River, and Dadu River, all running from north to This study adopts the axis method, focusing on the
south. analysis of three key parameters:
Utilizing data from county, city, township, and village (i) Connection value: This parameter represents the total
residences, a distance analysis was conducted to examine number of connections a node has with other nodes in
the spatial relationships between these settlement types the system (Liang et al., 2023).
and nearby temples. The selected high-correlation (ii) Integration degree: Also known as cohesion, this
distances – 2000 m, 500 m, and 100 m – indicate that metric measures the extent to which a unit space is
within these ranges, temples and urban villages are aggregated or dispersed relative to other spaces within
considered integrated settlements. These temples can the system. A higher integration value indicates greater
be classified into four types: temple-city, temple-town, convenience within the system, while a lower value
temple-village, and other temple types (Wang et al., 2021). indicates the opposite (Zhou et al., 2023). In global
The study focuses on four representative and influential integration analysis, selecting a radius of n allows for
temple settlements: Baiyu Temple (a temple-city type), the examination of nodes and all nodes within the
Ganzi Temple (a temple-town type), Dongga Temple (a system, reflecting the relationship between local and
temple-village type), and Gesang Temple (falling under the global factors (Chen et al., 2023). The calculation
general temple classification). Through distance analysis, it method is as shown in Equation I:
was determined that these temples exhibit varying degrees 2( MD 1)
of integration with their respective settlement types. I n 2 (I)
Situated in the western Sichuan plateau, these four temple
settlements are remarkably well preserved and exhibit rich where n is the total number of axes or nodes in
transitional characteristics. They showcase the cultural the spatial system, and MD is the average depth. The
wealth, adaptability, and dynamic transition from the inner calculation method for MD is shown in Equation II:
to the outer areas of the Tibetan Buddhist cultural sphere. n
i
2.2. Data sources MD d /( n 1)
ij
i1
The data used in this study primarily consisted of the
spatial distribution of cultural heritage within temple n
2
1
n
settlements, along with image maps and settlement axis 2{[log 2 3 1]}

maps. The location and image maps were derived from D (II)
aerial imagery, while the settlement axis map was manually n ( n 1)( n 2)
created in computer-aided design (CAD) software, based
on the village image map. Subsequently, this map was where D is part of Equation II and relates to the
n
imported into Depthmap software for detailed analysis. calculation of average depth.
(iii) Comprehensibility: This metric reflects the
It should be noted that due to the limited accuracy of relationship between local space and the overall
satellite imagery, minor deviations might occur during the space. Higher comprehensibility indicates a greater
creation of branch maps, which potentially result in slight likelihood of understanding the whole through
inaccuracies in the research outcomes. local means, making it easier for users to navigate.
3. Methods Conversely, lower comprehensibility indicates a
more challenging spatial understanding (Ye, 2013).
Spatial syntax employs advanced computer technology to By conducting a linear regression analysis of local
quantitatively evaluate space, systematically visualizing and overall integration degrees and plotting them
and highlighting the structural properties of entire spaces on an XY scatter plot, the comprehensibility of the
through graphical or numerical representations (Yue, axis system can be measured. This analysis also helps

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 3 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.2504