Objective Rural heritage—encompassing vast interwoven natural and built environments—serves as a vital repository of regional culture and agricultural civilization. Since the 1960s, international perspectives on rural heritage have progressively shifted toward greater holism and diversification. Concepts such as historic villages, vernacular architecture, rural landscapes, and agricultural heritage systems have been successively introduced, significantly expanding both the scope of protected entities and the conceptual depth of rural heritage. Concurrently, China’s heritage conservation paradigm has evolved from an object-centered ("individual") model to a spatially integrated ("regional") approach. In 2021, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council issued the Opinions on Strengthening the Protection and Inheritance of Historical and Cultural Heritage in Urban and Rural Construction, advocating for "full spatial coverage and comprehensive element inclusion" in heritage protection. This marks a departure from the traditional system focused on isolated monuments and designated historic cities, towns, and villages, and instead promotes a regional-scale framework for integrated conservation. This conceptual shift has directly informed practical initiatives in rural heritage management. Since 2020, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development have released a series of policy documents promoting the “concentrated and contiguous protection of traditional villages,” encouraging pilot efforts in cluster-based conservation and synergistic utilization. Through cross-village resource integration, innovative models for regional collaboration in heritage stewardship have begun to emerge. Within this context, a comprehensive, multi-scalar, and continuous understanding of rural heritage becomes essential. This paper seeks to propose a methodological pathway for constructing a networked system of rural heritage resources, offering strategic insights for holistic, regionally grounded conservation.

Method This study adopts the analytical framework of accumulation−nesting−connection. First, it traces the historical evolution of the study area to identify heritage values accumulated across distinct chronological phases. Second, by recognizing the nested scalar structure inherent in rural heritage, it systematically identifies value-bearing carriers at multiple spatial levels. Third, from a relational geographical perspective, it examines synergistic interactions among elements, revealing underlying patterns of cultural affinity, morphological continuity, and spatial connectivity. Using Xinghua City in Jiangsu Province as a case study, the research conducts empirical analysis through three steps: reconstructing historical context to extract core values; identifying heritage carriers at the nested scales of region−cluster−village; and constructing an integrated regional heritage network based on criteria of geographical proximity, morphological similarity, and cultural relevance. Building upon this network, the study formulates strategies for heritage protection and transmission.

Results The study synthesizes 370 heritage elements into a cohesive regional heritage network for Xinghua City. This network comprises: 1) a hydrological backbone structured as a “six-horizontal and four-vertical” water system; 2) five characteristic clusters defined by shared natural and cultural attributes; 3) eleven village groups; 4) fourteen core villages. Based on this structural framework, a holistic conservation pattern—the “two axes, four belts, two lines, five zones, and multiple clusters”—is proposed to guide coordinated protection and development across the region.

Conclusion First, at the ontological level, heritage conservation must extend beyond formally designated types listed in statutory inventories to include potential heritage carriers operating at the regional scale—ensuring full spatial coverage and comprehensive inclusion of elements. Specifically, identification of heritage carriers should incorporate both built assets recognized within the system of historic cities, towns, and villages—such as protected cultural relics and historic districts—and under-documented features such as ecological corridors, agrarian landscapes, and traditional rural settlements, whose cultural significance requires systematic documentation and interpretation. Second, robust methods for associative measurement of diverse heritage elements need to be developed. Given the complex, layered cultural meanings embedded in rural landscapes, clarifying internal linkages among components and making intangible cultural connections visible and legible is crucial for advancing regional-scale conservation. While this study integrates traditional historiographical research with advanced techniques, including deep learning, morphological clustering, and GIS-based spatial analysis—further refinement and validation of these methodological approaches remain necessary in practical applications. Finally, implementation requires actionable governance mechanisms. In response to the clustering outcomes derived from network analysis, a systematic process of classification and grading must be established to support differentiated strategies for protection, adaptive reuse, and community engagement. Translating theoretical understandings of regional rural heritage into operational frameworks ensures that conservation efforts are not only conceptually robust but also practically implementable, providing clear entry points and feasible pathways for planners, policymakers, and local stakeholders alike.