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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

The emerging middle ground: A case study of vernacular Hakka settlements in the peri-urban areas of southern China through an architectural heritage analysis

Xin Xu1* ,  Peter W. Ferretto1
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1 Faculty of Social Science, School of Architecture, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Journal of Chinese Architecture and Urbanism, 3649 https://doi.org/10.36922/jcau.3649
Submitted: 13 May 2024 | Accepted: 11 July 2024 | Published: 4 November 2024
© 2024 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Rapid urban expansion is transforming rural areas globally, prompting scholars to challenge the traditional urban-rural dichotomy and focus on transitional zones such as the rural-urban fringe and peri-urban areas. This article documents the evolution of architectural morphology in traditional Hakka settlements in peri-urban areas of southern China and coins the hybrid architectural landscape combined with urban and rural characteristics in these ambiguous territories as the “Middle Ground.” Fieldwork was conducted in four Hakka villages in Heyuan, northeast Guangdong, China, between 2021 and 2023. An explorative case study was employed to analyze the architectural morphology of the Middle Ground by mapping village fabric, dwellings, and street markets through aerial photography. A participatory perspective was also incorporated, involving observation, interviews, and documentation of the daily life of local villagers. This research examines how authority and mobility have shaped the Middle Ground, potentially leading to a state of “placelessness,” and explores the role of rural heritage in this context. This research contributes to the broader discourse on peri-urban areas by offering an architectural heritage atlas as an addition to existing research.

Keywords
Middle Ground
Hakka culture
Architectural heritage
Chinese village
Peri-urban condition
Funding
This work was supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong under the General Research Fund (GRF) (RGC Ref No. 14616520).
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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