Exploring the interplay between traditional Bai dwelling conservation and cultural identity under urbanization in Dali, China

Traditional dwellings serve as important carriers of ethnic cultural identity, yet face increasing pressure from urbanization. This study investigates the bidirectional interaction mechanisms between traditional Bai dwelling conservation and cultural identity formation under urbanization pressures in Dali, China, addressing critical gaps in understanding how heritage preservation and cultural continuity mutually influence each other in rapidly changing ethnic minority communities. A mixed-methods research design was employed, integrating quantitative surveys of 480 Bai households across 12 traditional villages with qualitative interviews and spatial analysis, utilizing structural equation modeling, geographically weighted regression, and thematic analysis to examine conservation-identity relationships across varying urbanization contexts. Results demonstrate significant bidirectional causal relationships between conservation engagement and cultural identity (β = 0.394 and 0.312, both p