Objective In the context of growing attention to the preservation and transmission of the historical and cultural heritage of both urban and rural, this study examines state-owned farms established during the planned economy era of the People’s Republic of China. It focuses on analyzing the spatial configuration, structural features, and underlying formation mechanisms of their agricultural reclamation landscapes during this specific historical period. These farms not only served agricultural production functions at the time but also embodied multiple values, including collective labor, large-scale operations, and hydraulic engineering technologies. As significant spatial vehicles for exploring socialist agricultural modernization in the People’s Republic of China, they reflect the profound reshaping and sustained intervention of state will in agricultural spaces. Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, this research aims to systematically identify and explore the multidimensional value of state-owned-farm landscapes across historical, technological, cultural, and social dimensions. It seeks to clarify their status and characteristics as a new form of agricultural cultural heritage, thereby providing a solid theoretical foundation for their systematic understanding, conservation, restoration, and sustainable use. Furthermore, by summarizing their experiences in spatial governance and production organization, this study offers historical references and developmental insights to support the comprehensive promotion of rural revitalization strategies and the transition toward agricultural modernization.

Methods The research takes Renmin Dayuan Farm — a typical state-owned farm in the Jianghan Plain — as its empirical case. Employing an interdisciplinary approach that integrates theoretical perspectives from historical geography, landscape morphology, and rural sociology, the study constructs a three-dimensional analytical framework encompassing “history − space − society”. Through systematic review of historical documents and archival materials, field surveys, and in-depth interviews with former farm employees and managers, comprehensive data on the spatial evolution and social memory of the Renmin Dayuan Farm since its establishment has been collected and organized. Building on this, the analysis examined the farm’s developmental trajectory under the dual constraints of the planned economy system and the natural geographical conditions of the lake district in the Jianghan Plain, using the lenses of “human − land interaction” and “socio-organizational operation”. The study highlights how initiatives such as nationwide collective mobilization, water conservancy projects, unified land planning, and collaborative agricultural production contributed to the reconstruction of agricultural space and the continuous shaping of the landscape system. Furthermore, it elucidates the driving mechanisms and spatial response characteristics underlying the coordinated evolution of the human − land system.

Results This study reveals that under the planned economy system with collectivized agricultural production, the formation of the agricultural reclamation landscape in state-owned farms relied on three core mechanisms: a highly organized labor collaboration system, systematic water conservancy engineering, and large-scale land consolidation technologies. The resulting landscape exhibits distinct characteristics across two dimensions: At the production space level, it has given rise to large-scale geographical units, hierarchical irrigation and drainage systems, and highly mechanized grid-like field layouts. These features reflect both human initiative and technical adaptability in developing low-lying lake areas for agriculture, as well as the state’s determined efforts to systematically transform natural resources through engineering; At the social space level, a three-tier spatial governance structure has been established, comprising the general farm, branch farms, and production teams, along with corresponding functional zoning and centralized residential units. This structure embodies the organized, disciplined, and collective nature of agricultural production during the planned economy era. It not only shaped a distinctive form of settlement but also fostered social relations and cultural memories rooted in collective labor and shared living during that era.

Conclusion The agricultural reclamation landscape of state-owned farms represents the outcome of large-scale production space reconstruction undertaken by the People’s Republic of China during a specific historical period to ensure food security and advance agricultural modernization. It embodies three distinct attributes: agricultural engineering achievement, socialist institutional practice, and collective cultural memory, making it a unique form of agricultural landscape heritage with Chinese characteristics. The land governance models, water conservancy engineering technologies, and agricultural organization experiences developed through this process hold not only significant historical value but also offer practical insights for the ongoing implementation of the rural revitalization strategy and the promotion of agricultural modernization. Looking ahead, systematic investigation, value assessment, and multidimensional documentation of such agricultural landscape heritage should be strengthened. A comprehensive conservation framework — incorporating spatial gene identification and cultural narrative construction — should be established to facilitate its transformation from a singular “production space” into a multifunctional “cultural space” and “heritage space.” Furthermore, it is essential to explore the integration of this heritage into regional territorial spatial planning and historical-cultural protection systems, thereby achieving sustainable synergy between heritage conservation and contemporary agricultural, ecological, and social development. Through the combination of theoretical construction and empirical research, this study expands the scope and methodological perspectives of agricultural landscape heritage research. It enhances the holistic understanding of the agricultural reclamation landscape of the People’s Republic of China within the broader context of urban and rural historical − cultural heritage, while also providing historical insight and directional reference for the green transformation and sustainable development of traditional reclamation areas.