Potential Evaluation and Type Identification of Rural Vitalization in Hilly and Mountainous Villages in South China

[Objective] The village type identification was carried out scientifically to provide technical support and a decision-making reference for the formulation of the overall territorial space planning and the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy for Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province, in order to provide experience reference for the village type identification in the hills and mountains in Southern China. [Methods] Villages were taken as the research units. A village layout suitability evaluation index system and a rural revitalization potential evaluation index system were constructed. The village types in Xingguo County were identified by combining the AHP and CRITIC methods to determine the index weight. A coupling coordination model was constructed. [Results] ① The overall village layout suitability in Xingguo County was in the general level, and the suitability grades were mainly in the middle suitability level, with significant differences in spatial distribution, showing the spatial characteristics of "decreasing in a stepwise manner from the central part of the city to the surrounding areas" . ② The overall level of rural revitalization potential needs to be improved. The high-level areas were mainly located in the villages surrounding the urban areas and the resident villages of each township. ③ The coupling degree between the suitability of village layout and rural revitalization was high. The coordination degree needs to be improved from the average coupling coordination degree, with the largest number of villages at the primary coupling coordination degree. ④ The types of villages in Xingguo County were identified as suburban integration villages, clustered development villages, survival and upgrading villages, characteristic protection villages, and relocated and evacuated villages. Corresponding development strategies were proposed for different types of villages. [Conclusion] Village layout was closely related to local topography and social and economic development. The potential of rural revitalization was positively correlated with the suitability of rural layout. Therefore, different development strategies should be proposed for different village types.