Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Religious Heritage in the Songliao River Basin of China

The Songliao River Basin, as a core area of multicultural integration in Northeast China, still lacks systematic research on the spatial distribution of religious sites and their influencing factors. This study integrates spatial pattern analysis methods (kernel density, standard deviation ellipse, imbalance index) and spatial econometric models (spatial error model, geographically weighted regression model) to explore the spatial distribution characteristics of 1288 religious sites in the basin and the influencing mechanisms of natural, socio-economic, and cultural factors. Results: (1) Religious sites in the basin show a clustered distribution of “higher density in the south than the north, one main cluster and two sub-cores”, with a northeast–southwest trend and poor balance at the prefectural-city scale. (2) Cultural factors are the core driver; cultural memory and social capital in traditional villages promote the agglomeration of religious sites and shape the “one village, multiple temples” pattern. Intangible Cultural Heritage, Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level, and religious sites form a tripartite symbiotic spatial relationship of “cultural practice—spatial carrier—institutional identity”; natural factors lay the basic pattern of spatial distribution. (3) Policy factors have a significant impact: A-rated Tourist Attractions and Performing Arts Venues show a positive effect, while museums exhibit spatial inhibition due to functional competition. (4) Economic, Population, and Transportation factors had no statistically significant effects, indicating that their spatial distribution is driven primarily by endogenous cultural mechanisms rather than external economic drivers. This study fills the gap in research on the spatial distribution of religious sites in Northeast China. By integrating multiple methods, a quantitative demonstration of the coupling mechanism of multiple factors was conducted, providing scientific support for religious cultural heritage protection policies and sustainable development strategies amid rapid urbanization.