Page 35 - JCAU-7-1

Journal of Chinese

Architecture and Urbanism

ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The emerging middle ground: A case study of

vernacular Hakka settlements in the peri-urban
areas of southern China through an architectural

heritage analysis

Xin Xu* and Peter W. Ferretto
Faculty of Social Science, School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong
Kong SAR, China

Abstract

Rapid urban expansion is transforming rural areas globally, prompting scholars to
challenge the traditional urban-rural dichotomy and focus on transitional zones such
as the rural-urban fringe and peri-urban areas. This article documents the evolution
*Corresponding author: of architectural morphology in traditional Hakka settlements in peri-urban areas of
Xin Xu southern China and coins the hybrid architectural landscape combined with urban and
(xu.xin@link.cuhk.edu.hk) rural characteristics in these ambiguous territories as the “Middle Ground.” Fieldwork
Citation: Xu X, & Ferretto PW. was conducted in four Hakka villages in Heyuan, northeast Guangdong, China, between
(2025). The emerging middle 2021 and 2023. An explorative case study was employed to analyze the architectural
ground: A case study of vernacular
Hakka settlements in the peri-urban morphology of the Middle Ground by mapping village fabric, dwellings, and street
areas of southern China through markets through aerial photography. A participatory perspective was also incorporated,
an architectural heritage analysis. involving observation, interviews, and documentation of the daily life of local villagers.
Journal of Chinese Architecture and
Urbanism, 7(1): 3649. This research examines how authority and mobility have shaped the Middle Ground,
https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3649 potentially leading to a state of “placelessness,” and explores the role of rural heritage in
Received: May 13, 2024 this context. This research contributes to the broader discourse on peri-urban areas by
offering an architectural heritage atlas as an addition to existing research.
1st revised: June 17, 2024
2nd revised: July 4, 2024
Keywords: Middle Ground; Hakka culture; Architectural heritage; Chinese village; Peri-
3rd revised: July 9, 2024 urban condition
Accepted: July 11, 2024
Published online: November 4,
2024 1. Introduction
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s).
This is an open-access article Rural areas around the world are undergoing dramatic transformations, a global
distributed under the terms of the phenomenon driven by rapid urban expansion and development (Bolchover et al., 2016;
Creative Commons Attribution-
Non-Commercial 4.0 International Koolhaas, 2020; McCarthy, 2008). Increasingly, scholars and academics are challenging the
(CC BY-NC 4.0), which permits all conventional urban-rural dichotomy and conducting extensive research on transitional
non-commercial use, distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, areas, such as the rural-urban fringe, exurban development, peri-urban areas, suburban
provided the original work is sprawl, and subtopia (Brueckner, 2000; Bryant et al., 1982; Marsden, 2006; Mcgee, 1991;
properly cited. Nairn, 1959; Pryor, 1968). This body of research illustrates that, economic structures,
Publisher’s Note: AccScience transportation networks, labor migration, and land use, have all contributed to the
Publishing remains neutral with mixed characteristics of urban and rural identities. Until 2023, China’s urbanization rate
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional has reached a remarkable 66.16% (National Bureau of Statistics, 2024). However, vast
affiliations. areas of amalgamated territories still exist between China’s ever-expanding urban centers

Volume 7 Issue 1 (2025) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3649