Where to Preserve? Evaluating the Integrity Principle for Delineating Protection Scopes of Kaiping Diaolou and Villages

摘要: While establishing where to preserve in a world heritage site is critical for protection, management and cultural sustainability, the approach delineating protection scopes under integrity principle remains less discussed literature. This study explores quantitative evaluating preservation of Kaiping Diaolou Villages (KDVs), culture south China. Diaolous are multiple-story tower dwellings, originally built defense purposes villages Kaiping, with mixed Chinese Western architectural styles. We investigate 1629 varying locational attributes defensive functions resisting invasion. use GIS-based analysis identify boundaries regions then categorize them into four types, relying on principal component clustering analysis. Results suggest that current may overlook spatial organization as system, failing consider value typology boundary integrity. The delineation thus need emphasize functional distribution historical buildings along their value.