The structural and functional evolution of rural homesteads in mountainous areas: A case study of Sujiaying village in Yunnan province, China

•The evolutionary characteristics of the structure and function of rural homesteads in mountainous areas of China.•The structural and functional evolution of rural homesteads is closely related to the farmers’ livelihood.•The government should follow the basic rules of the structural and functional changes of the rural homesteads. Clarifying the structural and functional evolution and driving mechanism of rural homesteads at different stages is crucial for understanding the interaction and coupling of the human-land relationship in mountainous areas. Based on the typical case area household survey and Google Earth high-definition remote sensing image data, this study adopts participatory rural appraisal (PRA), a participatory rural mapping method and a driving mechanism framework for the structural and functional evolution of rural homesteads. The study reveals the evolutionary characteristics of the structure and function of rural homesteads in different stages of mountainous areas and identifies the characteristics and driving mechanism of the evolution. The results demonstrated the following. (1) Due to the influence of social and economic development and the production and living needs of farmers in different periods, the structure and function of homesteads vary obviously in different stages. (2) The structural and functional evolution of rural homesteads in mountainous areas shows a typical pattern of "single-complex-differentiation-diversification". (3) The study of a typical village shows that the evolution and upgrading of the structure and function of homesteads are influenced by factors such as expanding production, improved living conditions and the promotion of regional economic development, as well as the optimization and upgrading of building materials and mutual comparison between neighbors. (4) The structural and functional evolution of rural homesteads in mountainous areas is closely related to economic and social transition and the change of farmers' livelihood strategies. (5) In terms of policy implications, in the process of implementing the Rural Revitalization strategy, the government should follow the basic rules of the structural and functional changes of the homestead, prudently carry out the rectification of rural homesteads, and be alert to the similarities between rural and urban communities, which are not conducive to the agricultural production of farmers.