Daocheng County, located on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, is characterized by frequent geological tectonic activities, complex terrain, and variable climate. Landslide disasters are one of the major natural hazards in this region. Understanding the mechanisms and patterns of landslide occurrences in this area is an effective way to reduce the losses caused by geological disasters. The ancient landslide database and its spatial distribution are important foundations for studying the mechanisms of landslide occurrences, but there are still data gaps. Using the Google Earth and visual interpretation through human-computer interaction, a detailed identification of ancient landslides in Daocheng County was carried out. A total of 1 324 landslides were identified, with the largest landslide covering an area of 2.36 km² and the smallest covering about 1 000 m², with a total landslide area of 306.78 km². The scale of ancient landslides in Daocheng County is primarily large-scale landslides （66.39%）, while small and medium-sized landslides are fewer （33.61%）.

The Daocheng landslide is influenced to varying degrees by factors such as slope, aspect, river, fault, lithology, historical earthquakes and PGA. ① The study found that there is a significant correlation between landslide distribution and altitude in Daocheng County through the analysis of spatial distribution. Most of the study area is concentrated between 4 km and 5 km in elevation, but landslides are mainly concentrated within the range of 2−3 km. With increasing elevation, both the landslide area percentage （LAP） and landslide number density （LND） show a trend of first increasing and then gradually decreasing, reaching a peak in the elevation range of 2−2.5 km. In this range, there are 193 landslides accounting for 14.58% of the total landslides, and the LAP and LND are 54.74% and 2.35/km², respectively. By analyzing the topographic and geomorphological maps, it can be inferred that high-altitude areas, due to their gentle terrain, lack the necessary geographical conditions for landslide occurrences, while the steep valleys in middle and low-altitude areas are more prone to landslides. ② Slope is another factor that strongly controls the distribution of landslides. The overall slope in the study area is generally gentle, with areas having a slope of less than 30° accounting for 76% of the total study area. A total of 648 landslides are distributed in these low-slope areas, representing 48.94% of the total number of landslides in the region. LAP and LND show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing with the increase of slope. LAP peaks in the slope range of 30°−40°, while LND peaks in the slope range of 60°−70°. With the increase of slope, the density and area percentage of landslides rise significantly. This is mainly because the greater the slope, the more pronounced the effect of gravity, making soil and rock masses more prone to collapse. ③ Rivers exert a significant control on the distribution of landslides. As the distance from rivers increases, the number and area of landslides show a clear downward trend. From a distance of ＜5 km to 5−10 km from rivers, the number of landslides sharply drops from 776 to 257, and the landslide area also decreases by two-thirds, indicating that rivers have a strong control effect on landslides. The area within 5 km from the river is a high-incidence area for landslides, accounting for 58.61% of the total number of landslides and about 63.08% of the area, especially along the valleys of the Dongyi River and Chitu River. This is mainly due to the continuous erosion of the valley bottom by rivers, which weakens the support on both sides and increases the likelihood of landslides. ④ Aspect also plays a significant role in the distribution of landslides. The northeastern aspect has the highest number of landslides, with 229 landslides accounting for 17.30% of the total, and the landslide area also reaches the maximum value of 53.83 km², accounting for 17.55%, indicating that landslides are more likely to occur in this aspect. This is followed by the west, northwest, southwest, and north aspects, with landslide number of 215, 191, 190, and 165, accounting for 16.24%, 14.43%, 14.35%, and 12.46%, respectively. ⑤ In terms of lithology, landslides are mainly distributed in Triassic strata, which are dominated by low-strength soft rocks, making them more prone to landslides. ⑥ In the history of Daocheng County, only one M_S5.2 earthquake has occurred, located near the Dongyi River basin in southern Daocheng County. By comparing the landslide distribution density with the location of the earthquake, it can be found that the landslide density near the epicenter is higher than that in other areas. This indicates that earthquakes have a certain influence on the development of landslides, especially the disturbance of geological structure caused by the earthquake in the short time after the earthquake. ⑦ Daocheng County is primarily divided into two PGA （peak ground acceleration） zones: 0.15g in the northeast and 0.1g in the southwest. The number of landslides in these zones is 119 and 1 205, respectively, with LAPs of 1.06% and 5.6% and LNDs of 0.06/km² and 0.24/km², respectively. Usually, the number of landslides increases with an increase in PGA because higher PGA indicates stronger seismic motion, leading to greater damage to slopes. However, the situation in Daocheng County is the opposite, suggesting a low correlation between landslide distribution and PGA. The density distribution of landslides and the location of faults also do not show a high correlation.

In conclusion, the distribution of landslides in Daocheng County is affected by multiple factors, with topography, geomorphology, and geological conditions being the main controlling factors. Seismic activity also plays a role in certain local areas. The correlation between landslide distribution and PGA, as well as active faults, is not high. Of course, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms inducing landslides requires further research. Establishing a landslide database is a key step in scientifically and systematically addressing landslide disasters. By adopting advanced data collection technologies, establishing a comprehensive database, and implementing effective management measures, more accurate and complete landslide information can be provided to society. This helps to reduce the risk of landslide disasters and provides solid data support for subsequent research.