Abstract:
Traditional villages are rich in soundscape resources. Taking Shangduanshi village in Zibo as an example, this study collected subjective and objective data through field surveys, soundwalks and questionnaire surveys, then applied factor analysis to extract the primary factors of soundscape evaluation, and explored the relationships among soundscape perception, preference and place attachment. The results show that the overall sound pressure level in the village is relatively low, creating a tranquil rural atmosphere. However, the sound pressure level of some sound sources exceed the limit of the current Chinese acoustic environmental quality standard by 10 dB(A). Subjectively, natural sounds were perceived more frequently than artificial or daily-life sounds. Specifically, the perception frequency was highest for the sound of flowing water, followed by birdsong and labor-related sounds; in contrast, the perception frequencies of folk art performances and children playing were the lowest. Regarding soundscape preference, natural sounds and daily-life sounds received relatively high preference ratings. Among them, respondents expressed the strongest preference for the sound of flowing water, followed by birdsong, rainfall, and folk art performances. In this traditional village, there is a notable consistency between respondents’ perception and preference of sound sources. Factor analysis emerged two primary factors from the overall evaluation of the soundscape: pleasantness and comfort. Furthermore, soundscape preference and rural soundscape perception significantly and positively predict place attachment, whereas perception frequency alone does not significantly predict place attachment. These findings offer evidence-based recommendations for the conservation and adaptive utilization of traditional villages in Zibo, as well as for soundscape integration in the planning and design of beautiful countryside initiatives.