Construction and Geo-Distribution of the Architectural Characteristics of Clan Ancestral Halls along the Yile–Xijing Historical Trail in Lechang

The Guangdong historical trail comprises two ancient trails, known as Yile (宜乐) and Xijing (西京); can be found within the borders of Lechang (乐昌); and is an integral part of the northern section of the Guangdong historical trail, connecting Hunan and Guangdong. Along these routes, there are various types of ancestral halls. The objectives of this study include analyzing various levels of information about ancestral hall architecture, determining their respective importance through AHP hierarchical analysis, classifying architectural features via cluster analysis using SPSS, and exploring the geographical distribution trajectories of ancestral halls along the ancient paths using GIS technology. Ultimately, this study seeks to shed light on the influence of different cultures brought by the ancient road on the distribution of architectural types and identify three distinct types of ancestral halls.