Research hotspots and paths of traditional houses in Huizhou, Anhui province, China: A visualization analysis using CiteSpace

As a representative of China’s vernacular architecture with unique forms and rich cultural connotations, Huizhou’s traditional dwellings have gained international recognition as a World Cultural Heritage site. These dwellings serve as a pivotal case study in exploring the dynamic relationship between globalization and local identity. This study employs CiteSpace software to visualize and analyze literature on traditional Huizhou houses published since 2000. We investigated publication trends and author and institutional collaboration networks and identified major research hotspots and their evolutionary paths at each stage by applying keyword co-occurrence, clustering, and emergence mapping. The results reveal three main phases in academic research on Huizhou traditional dwellings: from 2000 to 2010, studies primarily dissected architectural features and cultural connotations; from 2011 to 2020, research focused on the application of Huizhou’s traditional architectural and cultural symbols within contemporary design; and from 2021 to 2023, preliminary exploration began into the industrialized development and spatial narratives of Huizhou architectural elements. Although research on Huizhou’s traditional houses has yielded substantial insights, collaboration among authors and institutions remains limited, and theoretical innovation is insufficient. Future studies should prioritize multidisciplinary collaboration and quantitative analysis to advance the integration and sustainable development of theory and practice in this field.