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Topographical Determinism and Cultural Landscapes: a GIS-based Spatial Analysis of the Religious Triad in Nha Trang City, Vietnam

Minh Hieu Nguyen1, Phuong-Thao Hoang-Thi2
1Faculty of Industrial Fine Arts, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
2Faculty of Civil Engineering, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70517/revcc2624176
Published: 02/11/2026
: Minh Hieu Nguyen, Phuong-Thao Hoang-Thi. Topographical Determinism and Cultural Landscapes: a GIS-based Spatial Analysis of the Religious Triad in Nha Trang City, Vietnam. Revista Cultura Científica, 2026 Issue 24. pg. 2141-2163.

Abstract

This study examines the spatial relationships among three religious landmarks in Nha Trang, Vietnam: the Ponagar Cham temple complex, Long Son Pagoda and its hilltop Buddha statue, and the Catholic Stone Church. It combines interpretation of historical cartography, reported Google Earth Pro measurements, and a cultural reading of mountain–water landscapes. The supplied architectural azimuths are 81.64∘ for Ponagar, 123.92∘ for the Buddha statue, and 348.04∘ for the church. Treating the orientations as undirected lines yields an intersection triangle with interior angles of 93.60∘, 44.12∘, and 42.28∘. Its reported sides of 1,986 m, 1,919 m, and 2,846.9 m are internally consistent with those angles and describe an approximately right, approximately isosceles configuration. These calculations establish geometric consistency, but not intentional coordination, intervisibility, statistical exceptionality, or a causal mechanism of topographical determinism. The spatial interpretation suggests that elevated sites, estuarine settings, religious practices, and successive building interventions contributed jointly to the prominence of the selected monuments. Shan Shui is used as an interpretive vocabulary for mountain–water relationships rather than as a measurable physical force. The findings support examining religious heritage beyond individual property boundaries, with attention to hill profiles, public viewpoints, and historically meaningful landscape relationships. Historical map identification, georeferencing error, axis-selection uncertainty, and the chronology of the current structures remain important limitations. Conservation recommendations therefore concern the assessment of potential view corridors and cumulative development effects, rather than assuming that the projected triangle is already a verified historical or visual network.

Keywords: urban morphology; topographical influence; GIS spatial analysis; Shan Shui; religious heritage; cultural landscape

Abstract

This study examines the spatial relationships among three religious landmarks in Nha Trang, Vietnam: the Ponagar Cham temple complex, Long Son Pagoda and its hilltop Buddha statue, and the Catholic Stone Church. It combines interpretation of historical cartography, reported Google Earth Pro measurements, and a cultural reading of mountain–water landscapes. The supplied architectural azimuths are 81.64∘ for Ponagar, 123.92∘ for the Buddha statue, and 348.04∘ for the church. Treating the orientations as undirected lines yields an intersection triangle with interior angles of 93.60∘, 44.12∘, and 42.28∘. Its reported sides of 1,986 m, 1,919 m, and 2,846.9 m are internally consistent with those angles and describe an approximately right, approximately isosceles configuration. These calculations establish geometric consistency, but not intentional coordination, intervisibility, statistical exceptionality, or a causal mechanism of topographical determinism. The spatial interpretation suggests that elevated sites, estuarine settings, religious practices, and successive building interventions contributed jointly to the prominence of the selected monuments. Shan Shui is used as an interpretive vocabulary for mountain–water relationships rather than as a measurable physical force. The findings support examining religious heritage beyond individual property boundaries, with attention to hill profiles, public viewpoints, and historically meaningful landscape relationships. Historical map identification, georeferencing error, axis-selection uncertainty, and the chronology of the current structures remain important limitations. Conservation recommendations therefore concern the assessment of potential view corridors and cumulative development effects, rather than assuming that the projected triangle is already a verified historical or visual network.

Keywords: urban morphology; topographical influence; GIS spatial analysis; Shan Shui; religious heritage; cultural landscape

References

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Minh Hieu Nguyen
Faculty of Industrial Fine Arts, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
nguyenminhhieu@tdtu.edu.vn
Phuong-Thao Hoang-Thi
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

How to cite:

Minh Hieu Nguyen, Phuong-Thao Hoang-Thi. Topographical Determinism and Cultural Landscapes: a GIS-based Spatial Analysis of the Religious Triad in Nha Trang City, Vietnam. Revista Cultura Científica, 2026 Issue 24. pg. 2141-2163.

Publication History

  • Received: 20/07/2026
  • Accepted: 03/10/2026
  • Published: 02/11/2026
Copyright © 2026, Minh Hieu Nguyen, Phuong-Thao Hoang-Thi. Published by Revista Cultura Científica. This article is published as open access under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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