Theoretical Basis of the Investigation and Rural Landscape in Hancheng

Based on the review of the conservation theories and morphological studies in China, this chapter compares and reflects on the Western (Anglo-Italian) morphological tradition, theories and tools and their significance for the Chinese context. The second part of this chapter is a foundational discussion on the spatial characteristics of Hancheng’s historic rural landscape and traditional villages. Another point is the thorough and systematic investigation of all historical sources, from historic territorial cartographic maps to gazetteers’ diagrams and records. Analyze the presentation and expression of rural landscapes in ancient local chronicles (gazetteers) and maps to understand the landscape characteristics of the area in the ancients’ thoughts. That is to study the semantic expression of the landscape in the historical period (traditional Chinese society) from abstract, even symbolic records. Then the transformation and the crisis of the traditional rural landscape in Hancheng are discussed.