Framework for conserving Islamic culture in spatial forms of living spaces in Donglianhua Hui Traditional Village, Weishan, China

Amidst modernisation and rural revitalisation, the cultural characteristics of traditional villages are gradually becoming homogenised, a trend further intensified by the rapid growth of tourism. As a Muslim village with rich historical and cultural value, Donglianhua Hui Traditional Village's living spaces are imbued with distinctive Islamic cultural characteristics essential to conserving the village’s unique character; however, they too face the threat of homogenisation. To conserve Islamic culture in the spatial forms of living spaces in Donglianhua Hui Traditional Village, this study designs a novel framework based on three dimensions: spatial form, residents' attitudes, and stakeholder involvement. As the physical embodiment of cultural identity, spatial forms play a critical role in preserving the cultural characteristics of the village. Residents’ sense of place and their views, expressed as attitudes, contribute significantly to the protection and transmission of cultural heritage, providing intrinsic motivation for its long-term preservation. Meanwhile, stakeholder input and active participation establish the continuity and effectiveness of conservation efforts. Through site inventory and questionnaire surveys, the study identifies key indicators to construct this conservation framework. Findings from the site inventory reveal that decorative components within living spaces most prominently reflect Islamic cultural influence, followed by spatial layout, with minimal cultural impact on other elements. Questionnaire results further reveal that although 84.3% of villagers could not recognise Islamic cultural elements within spatial components, recognition of decorative features was relatively high (72.4%). Moreover, while villagers exhibited a strong sense of place identity and attachment, this emotional connection was significantly correlated with the recognition of Islamic cultural characteristics only in layout and decorative features. Notably, fewer than half of the villagers were aware of the conservation efforts made by stakeholders such as government bodies, NGOs, local villagers, scholars, and planners, indicating scope for improvement in information dissemination and public engagement in conservation efforts. Finally, by employing the Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation method to validate these findings, this study presents a systematically designed framework. This framework provides a scientifically grounded reference to address the erosion of cultural characteristics under the pressures of modernisation and rural revitalisation, promoting Islamic cultural preservation while offering valuable insights for the conservation of other traditional village cultures.

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