Cai, Z.; Li, J., and Wang, J., 2020. The protection and landscape characteristics of traditional villages in coastal areas of SW China. In: Liu, X. and Zhao, L. (eds.), Today's Modern Coastal Society: Technical and Sociological Aspects of Coastal Research. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 111, pp. 331–335. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.

Traditional villages are part of the cultural heritage of Chinese rural communities, with histories extending thousands of years. It is necessary to establish a system of indicators that can accurately measure the value of traditional villages and allow objective assessment of the current state of conservation. This paper takes the traditional village of Quanzhou City, a coastal city in SW China, as an example. Relying on documentary data analysis, GIS spatial analysis, and relevant mathematical and statistical methods, the distribution patterns of traditional villages are revealed. The index system for the evaluation of the current conservation state of traditional villages is constructed based on the combination of elements of building materials, elevations, and decoration styles. Thus, it can reflect the current status and control direction of the conservation and utilization of buildings in traditional villages. Therefore, it provides basic theoretical research about and support for the conservation and utilization of traditional villages and buildings in the SW coastal area.