Search Results (72)

This study presents a cross-cultural comparison of two fortified residences—Palazzo Farnese in Italy and Dong’s Fortified Compound in China—through a triadic analytical framework encompassing architectural form, symbolic ornamentation, and public perception. By combining field observation, iconographic interpretation, and digital ethnography, the research investigates how heritage meaning is constructed, encoded, and reinterpreted across distinct sociocultural contexts. Empirical materials include architectural documentation, decorative analysis, and a curated dataset of 4947 user-generated images and 1467 textual comments collected from Chinese and international platforms between 2020 and 2024. Methods such as CLIP-based visual clustering and BERTopic-enabled sentiment modelling were applied to extract patterns of perception and symbolic emphasis. The findings reveal contrasting representational logics: Palazzo Farnese encodes dynastic authority and Renaissance cosmology through geometric order and immersive frescoes, while Dong’s Compound conveys Confucian ethics and frontier identity via nested courtyards and traditional ornamentation. Digital responses diverge accordingly: international users highlight formal aesthetics and photogenic elements; Chinese users engage with symbolic motifs, family memory, and ritual significance. This study illustrates how historically fortified residences are reinterpreted through culturally specific digital practices, offering an interdisciplinary approach that bridges architectural history, symbolic analysis, and digital heritage studies. Full article

Identifying predictors of pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) can not only figure out who concerns about the environment most but also inform possible pathways that advance or inhabit such prosocial actions. Most past studies and theories focus on factors that reside within personal characteristics or sociopsychological mechanisms rather than taking a holistic view that integrates these two elements into a framework. This study investigates how socioeconomic status (SES) correlates with PEBs, integrating both structural and psychological mechanisms. Drawing on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) theoretical framework, this paper examines the paradox whereby individuals with higher SES exhibit more frequent environmental actions yet demonstrate lower willingness to pay (WTP)—a form of economic sacrifice. Using nationally representative data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), our structural equation modeling reveals that adulthood SES positively correlates with environmental values and behaviors but negatively correlates with WTP. This challenges the traditional linear assumption that greater willingness necessarily leads to greater action. Additionally, while childhood SES predicts adult SES, it shows no direct effect on environmental engagement. These findings highlight multidimensional pathways by which SES shape environmental actions, necessitating differentiated policy approaches to build a sustainable world. Full article

Ting, Tai, Lou, and Ge are types of ancient buildings that represent traditional Chinese architecture and culture. They are primarily constructed using mortise and tenon joints, complemented by brick and stone foundations, showcasing traditional architectural craftsmanship. However, research aimed at conserving, inheriting, and rejuvenating these buildings is limited, despite their status as Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units of China. Therefore, the aim of this study was to reveal the spatial distribution of Ting, Tai, Lou, and Ge buildings across China, as well as the factors driving differences in their spatial distribution. Tourist experiences and building popularity were also explored. The spatial analysis method (e.g., Standard deviation ellipse and Geographic detector), Word cloud generation, and sentiment analysis, which uses Natural Language Processing techniques to identify subjective emotions in text, were applied to investigated the research issues. The key findings of this study are as follows. The ratio of Ting, Tai, Lou, and Ge buildings in Southeast China to that in Northwest China divided by the “Heihe–Tengchong” Line, an important demographic boundary in China with the ratio of permanent residents in the two areas remaining stable at 94:6, was 94.6:5.4. Geographic detector analysis revealed that six of the seven natural and socioeconomic factors (topography, waterways, roads, railways, population, and carbon dioxide emissions) had a significant influence on the spatial heterogeneity of these cultural heritage buildings in China, with socioeconomic factors, particularly population, having a greater influence on building spatial distributions. All seven factors (including the normalized difference vegetation index, an indicator used to assess vegetation health and coverage) were significant in Southeast China, whereas all factors were non-significant in Northwest China, which may be explained by the small number of buildings in the latter region. The average rating scores and heat scores for Ting, Tai, Lou, and Ge buildings were 4.35 (out of 5) and 3 (out of 10), respectively, reflecting an imbalance between service quality and popularity. According to the percentages of positive and negative reviews, Lou buildings have much better tourism services than other buildings, indicating a need to improve services to attract more tourists to Ting, Tai, and Ge buildings. Four main types of words were used with high frequency in the tourism reviews collected form Ctrip, a popular online travel platform in China: (1) historical stories; (2) tourism; (3) culture; and (4) cities/provinces. Ting and Tai buildings showed similar word clouds, as did Lou and Ge buildings, with only the former including historical stories. Conversely, landmark was a high-frequency word only in the reviews of Lou and Ge buildings. Specific suggestions were proposed based on the above findings to promote tourism and revive ancient Chinese architecture. Full article

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolved, long COVID emerged as a significant threat to public health, characterized by one or more persistent symptoms impacting organ systems beyond 12 weeks of infection. Informative research has been derived from assessments of long COVID among the Chinese populace. However, none of these studies considered the COVID-19 experience of Chinese residents in Canada. Objectives: We aimed to fill this literature gap by delineating the long COVID experience, prevalence, and associated factors among a sample of Chinese residing in Canada during the pandemic. Methods: The present study employed a cross-sectional online survey questionnaire distributed to a sample of Canadian Chinese using a convenience sampling procedure from 22 December 2022 to 15 February 2023. Respondents were probed for sociodemographic background and health-, COVID-, and vaccine-related characteristics. Logistic LASSO regression was used for model building, and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with developing long COVID. Results: Among 491 eligible participants, 63 (12.83%) reported experiencing long COVID with a mean duration of 5.31 (95% CI: 4.06–6.57) months and major symptoms including difficulty concentrating (21.67%), pain/discomfort (15.00%), as well as anxiety/depression (8.33%). Our final model identified significant associations between long COVID and two or more COVID-19 infections (OR = 23.725, 95% CI: 5.098–110.398, p < 0.0001), very severe/severe symptoms (OR = 3.177, 95% CI: 1.160–8.702, p = 0.0246), over-the-counter medicine (OR = 2.473, 95% CI: 1.035–5.909, p = 0.0416), and traditional Chinese medicine (OR = 8.259, 95% CI: 3.016–22.620, p < 0.0001). Further, we identified a significant protective effect of very good/good health status (OR = 0.247, 95% CI: 0.112–0.544, p = 0.0005). Conclusions: Long COVID effected a notable proportion of Canadian Chinese for a prolonged period during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings underscore the importance of preexisting health status and reinfection prevention when managing long COVID. Moreover, our work indicates an association between using over-the-counter medicine or traditional Chinese medicine and long COVID experience among Canadian Chinese. Full article

With the rapid expansion of Chinese cities, traditional siheyuan in some old urban areas and historic districts have gradually transformed into overcrowded courtyard tenements inhabited primarily by rural migrants. Multiple families reside together in one siheyuan, creating a housing model akin to “shared housing”. Due to the complex relationship between property rights holders and users, coupled with the absence of a unified management and supervision system, siheyuan residents are confronted with the predicament of aging buildings, backward infrastructure, and poor living conditions. Finding a means of improving living conditions while maintaining the existing settlement style and population structure is an issue that demands urgent resolution. This study focuses on Mizhi, an ancient city in Shaanxi Province, China. Through the investigation and mapping of 31 typical siheyuan and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 160 families, it reveals the property rights division, current spatial usage, and future demands of the residents of traditional settlements dominated by siheyuan and proposes suggestions for their renewal. This study finds that siheyuan can be categorized into three types based on property rights, that the primary motivation for migration is to access quality educational resources, and that the insufficiency of per capita facilities is the primary source of inconvenience in residents’ lives. Future siheyuan renewal efforts should adopt a multi-stakeholder framework that integrates the government, urban planners, and residents. Improving the residential environment requires a dual strategy: optimizing spatial design and strengthening policy management. This research provides fundamental data for the protection and renewal of siheyuan and has practical reference value for formulating future settlement development strategies. Full article

The differences in the heritage perspectives of key stakeholders form an indispensable basis for formulating appropriate conservation strategies for living heritage. However, in existing practices, the differences in heritage perspectives between experts and local residents, who are both key stakeholders, often arise from expert experiences rather than being accurately measured. This study regarded traditional Chinese villages in the Luzhong region as a living heritage case for investigation and quantified such differences. Initially, this study provided a comprehensive description of living heritage using four dimensions: heritage value, heritage attributes, heritage composition, and heritage characteristics. Subsequently, a questionnaire tailored to traditional Chinese villages was developed, and a survey was conducted in the sample villages, resulting in 394 valid responses. According to the Pearson chi-square tests, the findings suggest that expert and local resident respondents showed slight disagreement regarding heritage attributes (x² = 5.619); however, they presented varying degrees of differences concerning heritage value (x² = 36.066) and heritage composition (x² = 36.525), accompanied by distinct preferences. Furthermore, significant discrepancies were evident regarding heritage characteristics. Regarding the four aspects of heritage characteristics, there was a slight difference in the symbiosis of heritage elements (x² = 3.877) but significant differences in the local resident as a heritage element (x² = 36.525); there was a minor difference in vitality and continuity (x² = 3.709) but a rare contradiction for integrity (x² = 47.649). This study can furnish case data support for surmounting the drawbacks of blindly relying on expert experiences, particularly by integrating local perspectives to safeguard living heritage globally. Full article

Villagers’ pro-environment behaviors profoundly impact the sustainable development of the rural eco-environment. Based on a survey of three traditional Chinese villages dealing with the challenges posed by modern development, we use structural equation models to analyze the contribution of villagers’ pro-environmental behaviors to rural social-ecological resilience (identification of disturbances, internal stability, absorption and transformation, and system innovation). The results show that the former positively impacts the latter. Strengthening public participation at the behavioral level and reusing traditional local knowledge at the cultural level are prominent factors. Place identity and social cohesion are the mediating factors and social mechanisms of the process. Additionally, the degree of ecological environment dependence, age, residence time, and other factors positively correlate with the perception of social-ecological resilience. Therefore, this paper proposes four strategies to strengthen multi-level environmental management, cultivate the local ecological memory, increase the diversity of management forces, and encourage villagers to develop the self-organizing ability of eco-environmental management, which are crucial to the sustainable development of the rural eco-environment. It also provides a promising reference for developing villages facing the same challenge. Full article

The exploration and advancement of feminism are vital for addressing critical issues such as social progress, equitable education, and healthcare access. This paper comprehensively examines the feminist movement’s impact on architecture over the past century, identifying key trends and significant areas to establish an academic foundation for feminist architecture. A literature review on feminism in urban planning, architecture, landscape design, and urban safety highlights the current research focus on feminist architectural development. Furthermore, this paper traces the evolution of feminist architecture through both purpose-driven and process-oriented approaches, exploring the interplay between feminist and modern architectural practices. It specifically examines the development of feminist architecture within the Chinese context from two perspectives: the influence of feminist thought on architecture and the evolution of gendered spaces within the “Residence and Courtyard” model. By comparing the internal logic of feminist architectural development in China and the West, this study investigates how geopolitical culture and regional differences shape the future trajectory of this field. Unlike traditional feminist architectural research, which often emphasizes women’s practices within specific feminist ideologies or focuses on visual culture and psychological interpretations of gendered spaces, this paper redefines the scope of feminist architectural studies through a comparative analysis of historical and contemporary contexts, and Eastern and Western perspectives, employing a systematic genealogical approach. Full article

With the advancement of modernization, traditional bazaars have encountered challenges, such as diminished vitality. Concurrently, the trend of integrating cultural spaces into bazaars has become increasingly evident. Understanding the relationship between bazaars and cultural spaces, as well as the preferences of users of these spaces, is crucial for enhancing bazaar vitality. Employing field research, questionnaire surveys, cross-analysis, and the narrative preference method, this paper compares the bazaar cultural spaces of Central Asia and Chinese from four perspectives: the current state of the bazaar, development overview, user preferences, and cultural space type preferences. This aims to deepen the understanding of the commonalities and differences between the two regions, and to explore the development trends of bazaars and their cultural spaces. The study reveals that (1) Spaces with diversified functions, high accessibility, and openness can enhance the vitality of the bazaar; (2) There exists a synergistic, mutually beneficial relationship between the bazaar and the cultural spaces; (3) Central Asian residents place greater emphasis on the environmental quality of the bazaar and the engaging content of its cultural spaces. In contrast, Chinese residents are more focused on the accessibility of the bazaar and the openness of the cultural spaces; (4) The function of art and culture is the preferred type of cultural space in the bazaar among residents of both regions. This study significantly contributes to the planning, design, and optimization of bazaars and their cultural spaces. Full article

The Shanxi merchants were one of the top ten merchant groups in Chinese history. From the Ming and Qing Dynasties to the Republic of China, they contributed significantly to the prosperity of China’s financial industry while also developing traditional residences adapted to the local living environment. Nevertheless, current research lacks a thorough investigation into how Shanxi merchant culture influenced the spatial forms of these residences. This study aimed to analyze the spatial forms of three types of Shanxi merchant residences in Pingyao Ancient City through a case study approach, exploring the factors influencing their spatial forms and their relationship with local culture. The focus is on how the shop residence, workshop residence, and courtyard residence types reflect the interplay between commercial activities and the sociocultural background through their spatial arrangements. The findings indicate a high degree of integration between commercial and residential functions, highlighting the profound impact of Shanxi merchant culture on social hierarchy and family structure. This research provides new insights into the spatial forms of Shanxi merchant residences, offering implications for the adaptive reuse of residences in modern urban planning and architectural design, as well as providing a theoretical basis and reference for the preservation and regeneration of architectural heritage. Full article

Against the backdrop of Healthy China and an aging population, there is an urgent need to explore the effect of the Healthy Cities Pilot Policy (HCPP) on residents’ labor supply. This study integrates the HCPP, residents’ health, and labor supply time into a unified analytical framework. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) spanning the period 2011–2020 and leveraging the quasi-natural experiment provided by China’s 2016 HCPP, we empirically investigate its effects on labor supply time among middle-aged and elderly workers. Our findings indicate: (1) HCPP increases average weekly working hours by 2.834 h in pilot cities. (2) HCPP significantly enhances residents’ health status in pilot cities, extending their healthy time. (3) Middle-aged and elderly workers allocate more of their extended healthy time to labor rather than leisure, potentially influenced by traditional Chinese perceptions of “ceaseless toil”. (4) The impact of HCPP on labor supply time exhibits group heterogeneity, with stronger promotion effects observed among vulnerable middle-aged and elderly groups characterized by older age, rural household registration, lower educational attainment, and lower income levels. This research offers insights for policymakers aiming to optimize health policies and promote sustainable development within Chinese society. Full article

Traditional Chinese villages, recognized as national heritage sites, are invaluable cultural assets. Since 2012, efforts have focused on their preservation, though issues remain such as prioritizing authenticity over usability and material over cultural elements. This paper adopts the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach, emphasizing the integration of physical heritage with daily life to shift value assessment. The fundamental argument of this paper is that the HUL method can serve as a new tool for preserving the historical heritage and landscape of rural areas, particularly in the context of assessing and formulating preservation frameworks for traditional Chinese villages. Through the case study of Tangfang village’s new conservation plan, the research demonstrates that the value of traditional villages lies in the continuous interaction between daily activities and physical space, including landscape, functional, and spiritual dimensions. The study concludes that a preservation framework based on local residents’ daily lives ensures more effective heritage conservation and landscape preservation by addressing both material and human values. Full article

The support capacity of built barrier-free facilities often does not align with the actual needs of urban residents, leading to travel obstacles for people with disabilities and posing a threat to the healthy and sustainable development of cities. It is necessary to evaluate the performance of barrier-free facilities from the perspective of demand. However, traditional performance evaluation methods conceal the differences in barrier-free facility performance among different groups of people. Therefore, this paper aims to clarify the barrier-free demand attributes of urban residents under different behavioral states, quantify the differences in residents’ needs based on demand priorities, and establish a human factor performance evaluation model for barrier-free facilities. Eighteen barrier-free needs of Chinese urban residents were identified through text mining. The demand priorities of individuals in various behavioral states for four typical ramps were then calculated using the Kano comprehensive satisfaction coefficient and importance coefficient. Expert evaluations of the facilities’ fulfillment of needs were gathered using the fuzzy Delphi method. Finally, the human factor performance of the facilities was determined based on the demand priority and fulfillment levels. The results show that even barrier-free facilities with high performance exhibit performance inequalities among the population, and this inequality is more obvious in relatively disadvantaged groups. Building a coordinated barrier-free environment with facilities, services, and assistive devices is an effective means to make up for the insufficient performance of barrier-free facilities. This approach not only enhances the support capacity of the environment but also contributes to the sustainable development of urban communities by ensuring equitable access for all residents. Full article

As the global demographic shifts toward an aging population, aging-related problems, particularly in older individuals with dynapenia, are increasingly gaining attention. However, interventional studies focusing on physical and cognitive function and sleep quality in such individuals are limited, indicating a need for further exploration. The present study investigated the effects of whole-body vibration (WBV) training on physical and cognitive function and sleep quality in older people with dynapenia residing in long-term care institutions. This study was a randomized controlled trial. The experimental group underwent WBV training three times a week for 3 months, whereas the control group continued with their regular daily care routine. Statistical analyses were performed using the Traditional Chinese version of SAS Statistics version 9.4. Paired t tests, a one-way analysis of variance, independent t tests, and generalized estimating equation analysis were performed. The results revealed that compared with the control group, the experimental group experienced significant improvements in grip strength, instrumental activities of daily living, cognitive function, and sleep quality in terms of latency and duration. These findings suggest that 3 months of WBV training can effectively enhance physical and cognitive function and sleep quality in older people with dynapenia residing in long-term care institutions. Full article

Although traditional Chinese wooden residential buildings have historically adapted to their respective regions, they face challenges in meeting modern living standards, particularly with regard to insufficient indoor natural lighting. This study focuses on three representative Tujia residences: the “L-shaped” dwellings, the “U-shaped” dwellings, and the courtyard residences, with the aim of improving their indoor lighting performance. Using Ecotect 2011 software for computer simulations, the study investigates the impact of altering the geometric shapes of courtyards in traditional wooden residential buildings on the lighting of the central room. The results indicate that, for the “L-shaped” dwellings, the geometric dimensions of the courtyard have little impact on the lighting of the central room. For the “U-shaped” dwellings, the optimal courtyard geometry is achieved with a well index (WI) of 1, balancing residential functionality, economic considerations, and indoor lighting performance. Regarding the courtyard residences, the best results are obtained by minimizing the building height while maximizing the well depth index to 1. Additionally, the study shows that a square layout of 90° ∗ 90° is most favorable for courtyards, effectively balancing lighting performance, functionality, and aesthetics. These findings provide valuable insights for the renovation of existing traditional residences and the design of new buildings, aiming to enhance overall indoor lighting effectiveness. Full article