Abstract: A total of 113 traditional villages in Shaanxi Province were selected as research objects. The nearest neighbor distance, kernel density estimation, geographical concentration index, Gini coefficient, and imbalance index were adopted to explore the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of traditional villages. The results indicated that the average nearest neighbor distance of traditional villages in Shaanxi Province was 0.676 9, suggesting a clustered spatial distribution pattern. The imbalance index of traditional villages was 0.758, reflecting an uneven distribution across 10 prefecture-level cities. Over 70% of traditional villages were concentrated in Yulin City, Weinan City, and Ankang City, while other cities had significantly fewer traditional villages. The traditional villages in Yulin City, Weinan City, and Ankang City exhibited high spatial concentration, forming high-density core areas. In contrast, the villages in Yan’an City, Xianyang City, and Hanzhong City showed dispersed spatial patterns, with significantly lower kernel density values compared to the core areas. The spatial pattern of traditional villages was comprehensively influenced by natural geographic factors (topography, climate conditions, river systems) and socio-cultural factors (transportation accessibility, distance to administrative centers, historical and cultural heritage).

Key words: traditional villages, the nearest neighbor distance, spatial pattern, influencing factors, Shaanxi province