Spatial Distribution and Influencing Factors of Traditional Villages in Sichuan Province

Sichuan Province is located in the transitional zone between the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the Sichuan Basin, characterized by complex landform units and a diverse ethnic composition, which makes the spatial pattern and formation mechanisms of traditional villages more complex than those in other southwestern provinces of China. Based on six batches of the national list of traditional villages from 2012 to 2023 and multi-source spatial data, this study employs kernel density analysis, spatial autocorrelation analysis, the Geodetector model, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression to systematically reveal the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing mechanisms of traditional villages in Sichuan Province.The results indicate that: (1) traditional villages in Sichuan Province exhibit a significant clustered distribution, forming three major high-density core areas in the basin and hilly regions—Ya'an–Meishan–Leshan, Guangyuan–Bazhong, and Zigong–Luzhou—as well as several secondary clusters in the western plateau, resulting in a spatial pattern of "multi-core agglomeration with plateau continuity"; (2) Cultural heritage foundations (q = 0.167), elevation (q = 0.139), and transportation accessibility (q = 0.097) exhibit relatively strong explanatory power for the spatial differentiation of traditional villages, while socio-economic factors display comparatively weaker explanatory effects when examined individually. (3) Multi-factor interactions generally exhibit stronger explanatory power than single-factor effects, particularly the significant nonlinear enhancement effects of interactions between elevation and cultural heritage foundation, transportation accessibility, and economic development level (GDP), revealing a coupled driving mechanism in which natural environmental constraints, historical-cultural accumulation, and socioeconomic conditions jointly shape the spatial pattern of traditional villages. These findings provide a scientific basis for zonal conservation and living heritage preservation of traditional villages in Sichuan Province.