Typology and Spatial Distribution of Traditional Villages in Southern Shanxi from the Perspective of Clan Culture

In the kinship-based social structure of traditional China, traditional villages often exhibit strong clan organizational characteristics, which are reflected in their spatial layouts and settlement forms. However, existing studies on traditional villages have paid limited systematic attention to clan culture as an endogenous form of social organization. Taking traditional villages in southern Shanxi as the research object, this study classifies traditional villages from the perspective of clan culture based on clan-related characteristics and analyzes the typical spatial structural features of different village types. On this basis, GIS techniques are used to examine their spatial distribution patterns and to compare the spatial differentiation of different village types in terms of elevation, slope, road accessibility, and proximity to water systems. The results show that, from the perspective of clan culture, traditional villages in southern Shanxi generally present an “east-dense and west-sparse” spatial distribution pattern. Different types of traditional villages show certain differences in spatial distribution and natural-locational conditions. The distribution pattern of Clan-Space-Dominated Villages is relatively consistent with the overall distribution of traditional villages in southern Shanxi; these villages are mostly located in areas with higher elevation, greater terrain relief, and relatively weaker road accessibility. Multi-Clan-Partitioned Villages show a multi-scale and multi-node clustering pattern and are more often distributed in areas with relatively better road connections and gentler terrain. Family–Courtyard-Dominated Villages present a pattern of “overall dispersion with local clustering” and are mostly distributed in hilly and gully-developed areas. All three types of villages show a certain degree of proximity to water systems. This study provides a macro-scale analytical perspective for understanding the spatial distribution of traditional villages in the context of clan culture. The findings may offer a theoretical reference for the protection and renewal of traditional villages and contribute to their integrated conservation and living inheritance.