A Multi‐Scale Collaborative Framework for Transforming Cultural Power in Traditional Villages Through Ecological Resilience: Evidence From Zhejiang Province, China

ABSTRACT

Traditional villages are heritage settlements whose continuity depends on interactions among cultural practice, ecological condition and governance capacity. This study examined how cultural power and governance networks are associated with ecological resilience in nine traditional villages in Zhejiang Province, China. A mixed‐methods design combined remote‐sensing analysis, spatial overlay, social network modelling, cultural inventories, interviews and institutional document review. The dataset covered villages of 2.20–3.25 km ² , elevations of 315–665 m, populations of 390–610 residents, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series from 2015 to 2024, land‐use maps, 120 heritage structures, 52 ritual sites and interviews with 115 governance and community actors. Cultural Power Index (CPI) was calculated from cultural density, ritual continuity and custodian presence, whereas ecological resilience was assessed using NDVI, Ecological Index (EI), vegetation stability, flood exposure and spatial conflict zones. Type I villages showed stronger resilience profiles, whereas Type III villages showed weaker ecological performance and more fragmented governance. Regression and spatial lag modelling indicated that cultural density, ritual continuity, governance centrality and vertical coordination were positively associated with resilience, whereas tourism pressure and conflict‐zone overlap were negatively associated with resilience.