Evaluating the impact of monumental landscapes on population aggregation in Hongshan Culture

Around 5,500 years ago, the Hongshan Culture in Northeast China witnessed the emergence of numerous monumental landscapes. These sacred and grand monuments would have held enduring allure for local inhabitants and visitors from distant regions, leading to them participating in the process of population aggregation. The Niuheliang site complex stands out as one of the most renowned examples, featuring an integrated monumental landscape comprising a goddess temple, piled-stone tomb cemeteries, and settlements. Such structures are widespread within the extent of Hongshan culture. Among these, excavated sites like Dongshanzui, Banlashan and Tianjiagou contribute significantly to our understanding of Hongshan monumental landscapes and people’s general cosmology. Integrating these compositions, three characteristics of Hongshan monumental landscapes are generalized—significance, collectivity and complexity. Correspondingly, three factors that make monumental landscapes attractive to the population are addressed—common beliefs, social labor and public power.