Research On Rural Settlements Landscape Of Tibetan And Qiang Minority In Sichuan Maowen Area

Rural Settlement Landscape is not only an important part of the human habitat, but also the heritage and expression of traditional vernacular culture. The research on the Rural Settlements Landscape is extremely significant, especially for the Sichuan Maowen area, which is a habitation of Tibetan and Qiang minority with a low level of urbanization. Rural Settlements of Tibetan and Qiang minority in the Sichuan Maowen area adapt to changes in the topography of the mountain, and it has a high degree of adaptability to the plateaus and valley environment, which reflects that the Tibetan and Qiang minority have a high adaptability and creativity living in the plateaus and valley environment. It also represents the unique witness of the social culture and history of the Tibetan and Qiang minority and a rare three-dimensional type of agricultural civilization in the plateaus and valley environment in the world.The main methods of this research is to study the rural settlement landscape of Tibetan and Qiang minority in the Sichuan Maowen area by field research in the counties named Wenchuan, Lixian and Maoxian in Sichuan Province, and the main conclusions are as followed:Firstly, there are three types of the rural settlements location of Tibetan and Qiang minority in the Sichuan Maowen area, including the canyon alluvial fan, the loping mountainside and the alpine tableland, and there are three kinds of layout method, including the banding, the clusters and the mass distribution. But as time passed by, it has been becoming to be the integration layout.Secondly, investigating spatial constitution of the rural settlements landscape of Tibetan and Qiang minority in the Sichuan Maowen area from the spatial pattern and material of the settlement landscape. The multi special form of settlement in Sichuan Maowen area, "architecture-farmland-environment", was come into being with diffuse space of the settlement, architectures including watchtower, stone house and hut, the tunnals and river system, farmland and environment, adding with the religious belief based on multi god worship.Thirdly, summary of the three characteristics of the rural settlements landscape of Tibetan and Qiang minority in the Sichuan Maowen area, including region, ecological and religious. This settlement not only obtains raw material locally conforming to nature but also saves the energy and protects environment. The rationality and regularity of the location choosing and layout of this settlement is of important to the study of today’s urban and rural planning.