To study the multi-dimensional interactive relationship between traditional villages and the tropical rainforest environment from point to surface and surface to space, and to provide useful references for the protection and planning of traditional villages under the background of the establishment of national parks.

Taking 107 traditional villages in Hainan tropical rainforest national park as the research objects, the spatial distribution characteristics, planar morphological characteristics and the layout of mountain-water space of traditional villages were studied by using ArcGIS spatial analysis method, graphic illustration method and induction summary method, and then the selection and construction rules of traditional villages and ecological human settlement wisdom were revealed.

1) Traditional villages are distributed in a point-like pattern, mostly located on the valley terraces and river terraces near small streams. The natural environment advantages make them the distribution areas of traditional villages; 2) The planar morphological characteristics of traditional villages are strong external natural integrity, loose and disorderly arrangement of internal buildings, no core buildings or public spaces leading the overall layout, and relatively free road systems. Four types of planar morphological characteristics are formed due to different terrain and water conditions; 3) The characteristics of the mountain-water space layout of traditional villages are the combination of hierarchical and free spatial layout concepts and the combination of adaptive and sustainable ecological environment concepts; 4) The selection and construction of traditional villages reflect the rule of “harmony and avoidance”, and their development process has produced the ecological human settlement wisdom of “three lives” integration.

The selection and construction rules of traditional villages and ecological human settlement wisdom can also provide important support for maintaining the rural landscape and promoting stable development. Under the background of the establishment of national parks, traditional villages should seize new opportunities such as cultural tourism and ecological health care, transform from agricultural economy to diversified economy, and achieve sustainable development.