Spatiotemporal Evolution Characteristics and Causative Analysis of Toponymic Cultural Landscapes in Traditional Villages in Northern Guangdong, China

This research focuses on the cultural landscape of traditional village toponyms in the northern Guangdong region, aiming to reveal the spatial distribution, site selection characteristics, temporal evolution patterns, and influencing factors of toponyms. The study employs quantitative statistics and ArcGIS spatial analysis methods, combining place name classification and kernel density analysis to explore the mechanisms through which natural and human factors influence place name distribution. The main findings are as follows: (1) Traditional village toponyms exhibit a characteristic of “large dispersion and small aggregation” with high-density areas mainly concentrated in Meizhou and Qingyuan. (2) Natural toponyms dominate, showing a strong correlation with river valley and plain environments, while village location demonstrates hydrophilicity and terrain suitability. Human toponyms enrich the landscape’s connotation through cultural identity and social memory, reflecting the profound influences of Confucian agricultural education traditions and immigrant cultures. (3) Economic activities and population migrations during historical periods have significantly shaped the cultural landscape of toponyms, not only promoting the evolution of village site selection and distribution patterns but also profoundly affecting naming conventions for toponyms. This research emphasizes the importance of protecting the cultural landscape of toponyms while achieving a symbiotic relationship between cultural value and economic benefits through regional cultural tourism development, laying a theoretical foundation for the long-term preservation and sustainable development of regional cultural heritage.