Identifying factors influencing the spatial distribution of minority cultural heritage in Southwest China

Minority Cultural Heritage (MCH) plays a crucial role in preserving human cultural and historical diversity. In Southwest China, there is a disparity between the abundance of ethnic minority cultural heritage resources and their inadequate protection and development. However, limited by interdisciplinary barriers, research into the distribution patterns of varied MCH in this area remains unexplored, making an initial step towards comprehensive preservation. The study investigates the relationship between MCH distribution and its association with factors of geography, climate, transportation, economics, and demographics, utilizing spatial geographic analysis, Geodetector methods, and social network analysis. The results indicate the following: (1) The distribution of 483 national-level MCH in Southwest China exhibits clustering, with a higher concentration in the southern regions. Honghe Prefecture, Dali Prefecture, and Qiandongnan Prefecture serve as the core areas with high MCH density, accounting for 47.2% of the total concentration. (2) All three categories of MCH show cohesive distribution patterns. cultural heritage clusters in the northern to southeastern regions of Yunnan Province, intangible cultural heritage clusters in the southeastern to southern regions of Guizhou Province, and agricultural cultural heritage clusters in the northern region of Yunnan Province. (3) The distribution of MCH among different ethnic minorities demonstrates polarization. The Yi and Tibetan ethnic groups have a higher quantity and diversity of MCH, while the Qiang, Lisu, and Jingpo ethnic groups have relatively fewer resources. (4) Single-factor analysis reveals that natural factors like the proportion of mountainous areas, river density, and annual average sunshine, as well as human factors like the proportion of minority population, urbanization rate, and road mileage, have the strongest explanatory power for the distribution of MCH. Furthermore, the interaction between these factors and others enhances the explanatory power for the distribution of MCH in Southwest China. This study provides scientific evidence for the assessment, protection, and sustainable development of MCH.