Cultural heritage site selection characteristics and the impact of the natural environment in Jinan city, China

This study aims to explore the spatial distribution and site selection characteristics of cultural heritage sites, as well as the impact of the natural environment on the site’s location. A total of 448 cultural heritage sites in Jinan City (Shandong province), which have been listed as key cultural relic protection units from before the Qin Dynasty to after the Qing Dynasty (ca. 7500 BCE–present), were analyzed using spatial analysis tools in ArcGIS 10.6 software. The main research findings are as follows: (1) cultural heritage sites have a wide distribution and few cores and are characterized by spatial agglomeration and the formation of a single core area around the Lixia District; (2) in terms of spatiotemporal evolution, cultural heritage sites follow a “diffusion–aggregation–diffusion–aggregation” trend, exhibiting a “southwest–northeast–northwest” trajectory, with characteristics of continuity and a centripetal pattern; and (3) cultural heritage sites are mainly distributed in alluvial plains with heights ranging from 2.6–100 m, slopes ranging from 0–5°, and distances ≤ 1 km from water systems. The more recent the construction year of the cultural heritage site is to modern times, the more closely its type is to production and living, and the more relevant it is to the natural environment.