Abstract:The courtyard is an important component of the Kulangsu Historic International Settlement and a significant carrier of its cultural landscape. In existing research, it is often treated as an ancillary space to buildings or remains concealed within the overall heritage landscape, lacking a precise analysis of its unique value. This study takes 30 groups of representative modern historic buildings on Kulangsu as research objects. The paper employs a decision tree analysis method to study its spatial elements and structural characteristics, and sums up the similarities and differences between Chinese and foreign owners of the garden. In conjunction with the modern historical evolution and social context of Kulangsu, the paper examines and analyzes the factors that contributed to the formation of spatial signatures in various historic gardens. According to the research, the characteristics of Chinese owners' gardens show the unity of the Chinese concept and Western form. The gardens of foreign owners had changed in their architectural style, floor area, and plan structure, in different stages of the formation of the Kulangsu historic international settlement. The common characteristics of Chinese and foreign gardens reflect the preferences of Chinese and Western owners for garden styles and cultures, and promote the evolution of modern civilization and the integration of multiculturalism in Kulangsu.
