Research on Ethnic Village Design Based on Sustainable Development Principles: A Case Study of Nangang Yao Village in Northern Guangdong, China

Li  Ti; Pisit  Puntien

doi:10.60027/iarj.2026.e295743

Authors

Li Ti Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2164-7388
Pisit Puntien Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4495-9147

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60027/iarj.2026.e295743

Keywords:

Yao Ethnic Villages, Cultural Gene Transcoding, Sustainable Revitalization, Community Co-Creation, Ecological Resilience

Abstract

Background and Aims: This study takes Yao Village in Nangang, northern Guangdong Province, China, as a living laboratory to address the dual challenges of imbalanced urban-rural development and ethnic cultural continuity in developed areas (Acero et al., 2019). It centers around a culture-driven sustainable revitalization framework and has developed a tripartite approach that integrates "cultural gene transcoding, community co-creation, and ecological restoration" (Andani, 2024). The purposes of this study are to 1) design and improve the environment of Nangang Village through the implementation of Yao villages and promote the sustainable development of the village, and 2) evaluate the environmental design and improve the modeling plan based on the design theory of Nangang Village, Yao ethnic group, northern Guangdong Province, China.

Methodology: This study is based on an interdisciplinary theoretical framework and innovatively applies parametric design tools to transform these cultural codes into stepped narrative landscapes, interactive light and shadow installations, and seasonal cultural tourism experiences.

Results: This method establishes a collaborative evolutionary design paradigm that can synergize cultural memory, spatial production, and ecological intelligence. The actual intervention measures include adapting the abandoned grain silos into weaving workshops, upgrading traditional spaces intelligently, and implementing intelligent space management. These measures have achieved three-dimensional integration: natural ecosystem restoration, cultural adaptability technology innovation, and immersive experience enhancement.

Conclusion: This study suggests that multidimensional cultural transformation and community empowerment mechanisms can coordinate heritage protection with modernization needs. This method cultivates a symbiotic development model, strengthens cultural identity, activates industrial vitality, continues ecological wisdom, and provides theoretical and practical references for ethnic villages in mountainous areas to overcome the dilemma of homogeneous development.

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