Regional characteristics of the point-like historical water supply facilities of traditional villages in semi-arid China

Abstract

In this study, we use the integrated concept of the "historical water supply facility" to advance the regional characterization of point-like facilities. Eighteen villages in eastern Shanxi Province, which has a typical semi-arid climate, were taken as the study area, and data were collected by field observations and in-depth interviews. The results reveal that the natural environment, specifically the terrain and river systems, influenced the formation of water cellars and water-logging pools, but had less direct effects on well construction. The formation of these facilities was eventually influenced by the residents pursuing stability and exhibiting a preference for water resources. Furthermore, under the pressure of survival, the types of facilities gradually diversified, while the numbers changed dynamically. Additionally, water cellars exhibited a minor correlation with the flood prevention, environmental sanitation, and yard drainage facilities of the village. These findings demonstrate that the core issue in the formation of diversified regional water supply characteristics is the attempt to find a balance between nature and water use/flood prevention, an embodiment of the explicit recognition of limited self-ability.

Long-Term Sustainability of Water Cellars in Traditional Chinese Villages: Factors Influencing Continuous Use and Effective Water Management Initiatives

“…Overall, the assessment was divided into four parts: evaluation of water bodies, burden of daily use (water lifting method and management time for rainwater harvesting), evaluation of structure and appearance, and overall evaluation. The value of this environmental contribution was determined by referring to our preliminary basic research [ 11 ], which examined the interaction between humans and the village environment brought about by the use of water cellars. Finally, regarding the determination of possible usage patterns, we refer to the current market design of modern household rainwater harvesting systems [ 41 ] that use roofs as rainwater catchment surfaces; at the same time, we predicted some participant behaviors such as maintaining the original water cellar but not using it or landfilling it.…”

“…It is thanks to these water cellars that these settlements have survived. However, in the contemporary context, water cellars present many drawbacks, such as complex maintenance during the rainwater harvesting phase (e.g., when it rains, residents need to block the yard’s drains to enable more rainwater to enter the sedimentation tank [ 11 ]) and poor water quality [ 12 ]. However, the major problem may be the unstable water volume.…”

“…As demanded, parts of this funding could be prioritized for infrastructure development in some traditional villages that fail to ensure basic residential conditions; the remainder was to be invested in historic buildings and other conservation activities. Water cellars embody essential local water use cultures of traditional villages [ 11 , 14 ]. Furthermore, they can be a significant natural water resource if managed, as usual, considering a certain water supply capacity.…”

“…Unfortunately, little attention has been paid by society and academia to the long-term sustainability of this endangered rainwater management system, which is a collaboration between nature and humans, and particularly residents’ evaluations and perceptions. Besides the early fieldwork-based historical research [ 14 ], recent studies have mainly focused on the flood prevention function of water cellars using simulated data [ 27 ] and their operation mechanisms [ 11 ]. Furthermore, some studies have explored the renovation of water cellars, such as improving water quality by adding water purifiers to the storage body [ 12 ] and increasing storage capacity by connecting water cellars and water-logging pools [ 28 ].…”

Study on the mode of Elderly Tourism & Dwelling in Zhejiang traditional village based on push and pull theory

“…Traditional villages refer to villages that possess the cultural heritage in both material and intangible forms, with unique folk culture and regional characteristics, high historical, cultural, scienti c, artistic, social and economic value, which should be protected (Zhou, 2014). Zhejiang is located on the southeast coast of China, with a long history and culture, and a large number of celebrities, coupled with the natural geographical environment of "seven mountains, one water, and two elds" has nurtured a large number of traditional villages.…”