The Tatunshan Area is located in the northern part of Taiwan. It is centered by Yangmingshan and dotted with a series of villages, towns and cities along its margin. This article is intended to make a critical study of the geomorphology and the rural settlements of this area. No detailed description will be given to the urban settlements.
Under the influences of various conditions such as the hilly topography, the affluent springs, the process of reclamation and the system of agriculture, most of the rural settlements in this area are of Dispersed Type. But there are still some villages of Agglomerated Type on the gentle foothills or on the river terraces.
According to their function, villages of this area may be classified into agricultural settlement, mineral settlement, tourist settlement and partially citylike settlement. The principles of their distribution can be summarized as follows:
1. The development of settlements is more influenced by slope than by altitude.
2. Settlements usually develop on the piedmont terraces.
3. There are more settlements on the southwest slopes than anywhere else.
4. Settlements seem to have been concentrated on the line of transportation, and not on both banks of a river or both sides of a valley.
The sites of villages seem to have an influence on the pattern of the settlement. As a result, we find Strassendorf, Terrace Settlement, and Farmstead Settlement. As most of the inhabitants are farmers, the forms of their houses are usually simple.
The houses in different regions are made of different building materials. The architecture and the degree of modernization of these houses are varied depending upon space relationship and accessibility.
To develop the natural resources, measures should be taken to enlarge the network of transportation, to improve the economical structure, and to promote tourism. All these efforts will be of great help to the prosperity and betterment of this area.
