1. Introduction
Approximately 50% of the global population resides in rural regions, with 90% hailing from Asia and Africa [
1]. Migration has posed a significant demographic issue in rural areas and has been detrimental to their development. Furthermore, rural–urban migration, driven by factors such as alterations in farming techniques, limited employment prospects, and unfavorable economic circumstances, has resulted in significant challenges for both urban and rural regions. Rural areas have experienced demographic changes due to migration, leading to a growing elderly population, diminished human resources, the decline of villages, and the erosion of cultural legacies [
2].
As a representative case, China has made significant progress in urbanization and poverty reduction, as observed by the global community [
3]. China is undergoing rapid urbanization, which is one of the most significant human resettlement experiments in history. The escalating urbanization presents challenges of heightened congestion and population density. However, many obstacles still need to be addressed, such as the uncompetitive agricultural industry, the slow pace of development, low incomes, and the necessity for a thorough revitalization of rural areas [
1]. Integrating the urban–rural gap is crucial for regional sustainable development, as it plays a significant role in rural revitalization [
4]. Rural revitalization is a comprehensive approach encompassing various dimensions of rural life. Its objective is to counteract the decline in rural areas and improve rural communities’ overall quality of life. Revitalizing rural communities holds significant potential for mitigating and fostering sustainable poverty reduction in those regions [
5].
Nevertheless, the global phenomenon of urbanization has significantly increased the migration of skilled individuals from rural regions, commonly called brain drain [
6]. The population decline has resulted in a scarcity of workers in rural regions and has caused disputes in regional development. To rectify this scenario, numerous nations, including Europe, Japan, and China, have progressively underscored the significance of rural development and initiated a succession of rural revitalization initiatives [
7]. Academic research has extensively focused on rural revitalization, including in the areas of rural planning (Wang et al. [
8]), the preservation of traditional villages (Li et al. [
9]), and rural tourism (Fang et al. [
10]).
However, revitalizing rural areas’ economies is a highly suitable strategy to address the sustainable development challenges encountered by rural areas, as Xu et al. [
11] stated. Revitalizing rural communities holds significant potential for fostering sustainable poverty reduction in those regions. China has implemented measures to revitalize rural development to enhance sustainable rural development [
12]. The Rural Revitalization Strategy in China, implemented by the Communist Party of China (CPC) under the supervision of Marxist theory, seeks to address the issue of sustainable rural development [
13]. In 2017, the CPC proposed fully executing the Rural Revitalization Strategy to comprehensively address the sustainable development of China’s agricultural and rural areas. China has extensive documented evidence of effectively alleviating poverty by revitalizing rural regions [
14].
Policies concerning sustainable development highlight the prominent importance of rural revitalization. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of comprehensive knowledge regarding the fundamental concepts and intellectual foundations of rural revitalization and sustainable development. There is scant literature on the development of the subject [
15]. How have the connections and exchanges between rural revitalization and sustainable development changed? What are the areas of intense study focus and anticipated directions for future research? Accurately identifying these difficulties is challenging but essential for comprehending research hotspots and facilitating practical implementations.
This study utilized bibliometric analysis to visually represent research on rural revitalization for sustainable development using data from the Scopus database. This bibliometric analysis employs techniques such as “co-occurrence keyword clustering” and “bibliometric coupling” to uncover the research topics related to rural revitalization and sustainable development across various historical periods. Additionally, it aims to predict future trends to assist researchers in identifying potential areas of focus for rural revitalization and sustainable development. The findings of this analysis can serve as a reference for developing practical strategies and pathways for sustainable development.
The research questions are as follows:
RQ1. What was the evolution of research issues related to rural revitalization and sustainable development?
RQ2. What are the commonalities and distinctions among the various stages of research development?
RQ3. Where are the hotspots of rural revitalization and sustainable development?
This research contributes to critical growth areas such as conceptual development, productivity, and intellectual advancement. The study analyzes the current patterns in the literature and academic contributions by nations, authors, documents, keywords, and journals associated with rural revitalization and sustainable development. In addition, it records cross-border collaboration. It provides a co-citation analysis to comprehend the domain of “rural revitalization” and “sustainable development” and trends over twenty-eight years. Due to the increasing study focus on this subject, the comprehensive literature review summarizes the advancements made during this period. Its purpose is to assist other researchers in recognizing and tackling the challenges and deficiencies in rural tourism research, ultimately contributing to the enhancement of future research in this field.
2. Literature Review
Comprehensive innovation policies are needed to enhance the total capacity of rural innovation to achieve rural revitalization. This encompasses advancing innovation in agricultural technology, institutional and managerial methods, community-based networks, and intermediary platforms.
Several researchers have presented their perspectives on rural revitalization and the promotion of sustainable development. Irungu et al. [
16] comprehensively analyzed rural revitalization initiatives prioritizing sustainable rural development. The findings demonstrated that the program’s focus on agricultural science and technology, entrepreneurship, and tourism offers a holistic strategy for advancing sustainable rural development. This signifies a transition from exclusively emphasizing agriculture to a more comprehensive comprehension of rural innovation, wherein agricultural output is regarded as but one element among others. Shi and Yang [
17] investigated the levels of sustainable development and the elements that influence it in rural China using a strategy focused on revitalizing rural areas. The findings indicated that the developmental status of rural regions in China is progressing. However, this progress differs throughout all rural areas.
In addition, Yin et al. [
18] introduced the rural innovation system, a multifaceted socio-economic network that seeks to rejuvenate rural areas and promote equitable and sustainable progress. This theory draws upon new growth, institutional, and innovation systems principles. Their approach introduces a rural innovation system that directly contributes to the current knowledge in rural studies, innovation systems, and public policy. In their study, Dai et al. [
19] investigated the potential of rural tourism to revitalize rural areas. They investigated the process and elements of rebuilding rural spaces in a specific location in China, spurred by the growth of tourism. This was accomplished by analyzing remote sensing imagery, conducting semi-structured interviews, and observing the changes without actively participating. The focus was on understanding the cultural significance of rural areas. Their findings demonstrated that the implementation of tourist development by the government had converted the central village from a conventional rural society centered around familial connections into a commercialized rural tourism community with financial concerns.
Despite the prior studies, few authors have undertaken bibliometric studies in rural revitalization and other related areas. Liu et al. [
20] examined the pertinent literature in the Web of Science database from 1991 to 2021. They observed that during the past three decades, there has been a noticeable rise in the quantity of publications focused on rural revival and policy. The prominent terms identified suggested that researchers focused on the significance of sustainable development, policy creation, and urbanization. Zheng et al. [
21] analyzed 2339 relevant studies using bibliometric analysis. Their study examined the connections and interactions between villagers and rural revitalization using the Web of Science (WOS) database. They discovered that this field of research has progressed through four distinct stages, with conservation, management, and policy being the most frequently discussed topics. Li and Song [
22] analyzed land consolidation and rural revitalization research statuses using publications from 1950 to 2021 in the Web of Science database. They revealed that a total of 1715 authors have authored related articles.
Most of these studies are related to rural revitalization, land issues, policy formation, and tourism. Also, there has not been any thematic analysis that provides a structure for the investigation. To our knowledge, no recent bibliometric analyses exist on the interaction between rural revitalization and broader sustainable development. We fill this gap by exploring rural revitalization in broader sustainable development concepts using a multidisciplinary database—Scopus. This will bring exciting insights into such an important study area and stir some curiosity into its investigations.
5. Discussion
The increase in scientific contributions to rural revitalization and sustainable development is significant. However, examining current bibliometric data in this context is still somewhat restricted. We searched by utilizing the Scopus database. We initially identified a total of 669 articles on rural revival and sustainability within the stipulated timeframe. A more in-depth examination uncovered that 403 studies specifically concentrated on rural revitalization and the promotion of sustainable development, all falling under the defined inclusion criteria. The annual publications started to increase in 2020 and were the highest in 2022. Several factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic could account for this trend, especially in China, where researchers made significant contributions to rural revitalization for sustainable development research in 2020–2022.
Firstly, there was a heightened emphasis on health and well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the significance of maintaining good health, especially in rural regions. Researchers might have shifted their focus towards rural development in order to ensure that these places possess sufficient resources, healthcare facilities, and sustainable practices, hence enhancing the overall well-being of the population.
Secondly, there was a pressing necessity for the development of community resilience. COVID-19 highlighted the significance of community resilience. Researchers investigated methods to fortify rural communities, guaranteeing their resilience in the face of crises through the implementation of sustainable practices, the diversification of revenue sources, and the improvement of local infrastructure.
Thirdly, there was a notable rise in supply chain interruptions. The disruptions in global supply chains, brought about by the pandemic, underscored the significance of robust and self-reliant local economies. Researchers investigated sustainable development options for rural areas in order to improve local output, decrease reliance on external sources, and guarantee food security.
Furthermore, there was a requirement for social fairness. The pandemic intensified pre-existing disparities, highlighting the imperative for social fairness. Researchers might have prioritized techniques that foster inclusive and equitable development in rural areas with the aim of ensuring that vulnerable communities are not marginalized.
Lastly, there was a heightened demand for digital transformation due to the implementation of lockdowns and travel restrictions, which led to a rapid advancement in digitalization. Scholars might have prioritized utilizing digital technologies, such as e-commerce, online education, and telemedicine, to promote sustainable practices and bridge the gap between urban and rural areas.
This study is a pioneering bibliometric analysis that explores the relationship between rural revitalization and sustainable development. It aims to identify the authors, reference sources, institutions, nations, and academic disciplines that have significantly contributed to this field. The results emphasize that a few authors contribute substantially to influential publications. As a result of the widespread availability of open-access articles, this field has experienced a large number of writers and a quick spread of contributions. Significantly, there has been an increase in the number of links, highlighting the current importance of the subject. The survey identified China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia as the top countries in terms of scholarly output in this field. This result is consistent with Li and Song [
22], who reported in a bibliometric study that China and the USA were the first and second countries, respectively, to publish the most papers regarding land consolidation and rural revitalization. This result of China making significant contributions can be explained from many perspectives.
Firstly, there is high government support. The Chinese government has raised the rural revitalization strategy to a momentous National Strategy to solve the problem of sustainable rural development. This commitment may have led to increased funding, resources, and support for research in this area. The national logic of the Rural Revitalization Strategy lies in its essential value implication and practical orientation for consolidating the party’s ruling foundation in rural areas, consolidating the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and realizing the country’s long-term stability [
66]. So, implementing the rural revitalization strategy is necessary for the CPC to promote modernization, but it is also an inevitable choice for the CPC to hedge domestic and foreign risks and consolidate its ruling foundation. The rural revitalization strategy will continue from 2017 to 2050, giving legitimacy and necessity to long-term implementation with a political cycle of more than 30 years. Thus, it has become not only the central task of the CPC today but also is closely bound up with the success of China’s comprehensive realization of socialist modernization in 2050.
Secondly, Chinese researchers may see rural issues as urgent. With a large population still residing in rural areas, addressing rural challenges is crucial for overall national development. Researchers may feel a sense of urgency to contribute solutions to issues such as poverty, agricultural productivity, and environmental sustainability.
Thirdly, there is a high level of development in research institutions and universities. China has invested heavily in developing its research institutions and universities. These institutions may actively support research on rural revitalization, providing the necessary infrastructure, expertise, and encouragement for researchers to explore sustainable development solutions. For example, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law established a Research Center for Rural Revitalization in December 2017 that publishes high-level papers on theories, policies, and practical issues of rural revitalization in China.
Furthermore, it could be a result of high public awareness and engagement. Increased awareness among the Chinese public about the importance of rural development and sustainability may have generated interest and support for research in this field. Public engagement can stimulate research initiatives and garner additional resources.
Moreover, the most impactful document, titled “Why Some Rural Areas Decline While Some Others Not: An overview of rural evolution in the world”, was authored by Li et al. [
1] and published in the
Journal of Rural Studies. This is possibly because it uniquely designs conditions for sustainable rural development in the knowledge economy, which is a very topical and interesting issue for sustainable development. Also, it could be that the
Journal of Rural Studies has a good reputation.
Furthermore, Sustainability, Land, and International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health have emerged as the three most cited journals. The comprehensiveness of these publications is crucial in efficiently communicating information to all parties. This finding is also consistent with the aim of Sustainability as an international journal, which provides a forum for research related to sustainability and sustainable development.
This study utilizes scientific cartography to delineate patterns and discoveries in revitalizing rural areas and promoting sustainable growth. The maps employ conceptual frameworks to classify fundamental themes, subjects, and cognitive structures that impact an author’s study. This methodology assists academics in refining their research focus to specific topics and finding influential articles within each thematic cluster. The analysis demonstrates that “rural revitalization and sustainable development” is a prominent focus in the core literature field, whereas “China” is more narrowly focused and specialized.
The keyword occurrence overlay showed that issues such as rural planning and socioeconomics have been discussed. The exciting issues discussed include China, sustainable development goals, the conservation of natural resources, ecosystem cities, and rural revitalization strategies. These are unsurprising because China is at the forefront of rural revitalization and sustainable development. For instance, successful rural revitalization projects in China have been completed in the suburban zone of Chengdu for a model municipality in rural–urban integration (Wu et al. [
67]) and in the area of the Yuanjia rural revitalization (Gao and Wu [
27]), among others. The Rural Revitalization Strategy in China aims to establish an idealized sustainable development model for China’s rural areas which can not only avoid the modern crisis of Western capitalist rural areas but also give full play to the institutional advantages of socialism with Chinese characteristics and get rid of the survival dilemma of China’s traditional small-scale peasant economy. The Rural Revitalization Strategy will continue from 2017 to 2050, giving legitimacy and necessity to long-term implementation with a political cycle of more than 30 years. Thus, it has become not only the central task of the CPC today but also is closely bound up with the success of China’s comprehensive realization of socialist modernization in 2050.
The concept of sustainable development goals (SDGs) offered a sustainable rural regeneration strategy incorporating social involvement. The SDG Pilot Village project in China is a pioneering endeavor that showcases the practical implementation of the SDGs at the local level, specifically in villages. More information about this project can be found at
www.undp.org/China/projects/sdg-pilot-village accessed on 23 December 2023. The main objective is to develop the ability to integrate gender perspectives within the local government and the community. Additionally, its objective is to enable villagers, particularly the women belonging to the Yi Ethnic group, to effectively utilize development prospects offered by rural ecotourism, diminish poverty, and achieve sustainable rural revitalization.
6. Conclusions, Implications, Future Research Directions, and Limitations
This paper adopted various bibliometric indicators to measure the productivity and influence of authors and articles on rural revitalization and sustainable development. Various indicators were discussed in detail, including the most productive journals, countries, co-authorship analysis, the most cited papers, and research topics. The results indicate that the most impactful author is Liu, Y. and “Why some rural areas decline while some others not: An overview of rural evolution in the world” is the most cited document. The Sustainability journal is the most cited source. In terms of countries, authors in China have published the most articles.
The results provide significant advantages for professionals and scholars in rural regeneration and sustainable development. For example, the findings can assist novice researchers in determining the ideas, techniques, and methodologies employed in rural revitalization and sustainable development. They can also extract valuable information from these articles to enhance the quality of their studies. The results can also assist academics in identifying the most productive authors or countries in rural revitalization and sustainable development. This information will be invaluable for pursuing academic partnerships. Ultimately, the results of this study can assist researchers in identifying the most pertinent subjects and future avenues for research in rural revitalization and sustainable development, enabling them to pursue additional investigations or expand their research interests.
Based on the key overlay map, future research can investigate the intersection between rural revitalization and sustainable development goals, ecosystem cities, social capital, rural revitalization strategies, and rural, regional system industrial developments.
While the meticulousness in gathering, organizing, examining, and understanding the data enhances the credibility of the research, the research design is subject to four significant constraints. Initially, data sampling exclusively relied on the Scopus database. Therefore, the analysis probably omits several influential contributions. Furthermore, the sampling process exclusively includes journal publications, while conference papers and book chapters are deliberately excluded. Furthermore, items not written in English are not included.
Furthermore, the analysis did not utilize bibliographic coupling. Therefore, future research should consider these constraints to understand this industry better. Future research can consider other databases such as Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and PubMed.