Although poverty alleviation through relocation has significantly improved the quality of the human environment in rural settlements in the mountainous areas of southwestern Yunnan, the process of eradicating spatial poverty often neglects the preservation of vernacular styles and ecologically friendly landscapes. This negligence stems mainly from the task, timeliness and indicator requirements of resettlement construction, which makes it difficult to fully take into account the continuation of vernacular style and ecologically friendly landscape, resulting in the relatively urbanised treatment of the geographic landscape elements and structural relationships of the new settlement forms and environmental carriers. To address this issue, this study adopts a novel approach by integrating quantitative morphology and qualitative connotation analyses, diverging from previous studies that relied solely on either qualitative or quantitative methods. Specifically, it employs metrics such as aspect ratio, shape index, and building density to quantitatively analyze the morphological characteristics of settlements across 35 relocation centers in Linxiang District, Lincang City. Furthermore, the study investigates the generative mechanisms behind these morphological characteristics through comprehensive field surveys, aiming to provide a deeper understanding of the factors shaping settlement patterns. By exploring the degree of environmental adaptation and friendliness of the settlement pattern of the relocation centres, and then putting forward suggestions for guiding the subsequent development of the settlements. This study aims to broaden the idea of the natural embedding of the human environment in mountainous relocation settlements with the topography and landscape, and the organic integration with the ecological environment, so as to provide a direction for the future sustainable development, revitalisation and reconstruction of mountainous relocation settlements. The key findings of the study are as follows: 1) The morphological characteristics of settlements in centralized resettlement sites in Linxiang District can be classified into eight distinct types. While each type exhibits unique spatial structures, 85.7% of the settlements have building densities of 0.5 or higher, and 66% display a pronounced tendency toward banding in their morphology. 2) The settlement patterns in Linxiang District have been significantly reshaped due to constraints imposed by the natural environment, policy directives, and the influence of modern functionalities. The spatial configuration of resettlement sites has transitioned from a pre-relocation state of “mountainous terrain and scattered building distribution” to a post-relocation state of “flat area concentration and compact building layout.” Overall, the spatial pattern of resettlement settlements is characterized by “compactness and regularity, scale agglomeration, and internal and external integration.” 3) In Linxiang District, the building organization mode of resettlement sites predominantly adopts a linear layout rather than a centripetalone. While this approach ensures good building orientation, it often lacks sufficient consideration for the cohesion of public spaces, which may hinder community interaction and social cohesion. 4) At present, although the eight types of relocation sites in Linxiang District largely meet the modern living needs of relocated villagers, the original distinctiveness of these settlements in terms of vernacularity, locality, and cultural integration with the natural landscape has been gradually eroded during the relocation process. Most resettlement sites have simplified the integration of buildings with the natural environment, leaning toward urban construction styles. While pursuing short-term benefits during relocation is inevitable, it is equally crucial to consider how to preserve the vernacular style, ecological and environmentally friendly landscapes, and regional cultural heritage for the relocated communities. This study highlights the need for a balanced approach that reconciles immediate practicalities with long-term sustainability, ensuring that the unique cultural and environmental attributes of these regions are preserved while meeting the modern living needs of the relocated populations. Limitations of this study include: 1) The resettlement sites in the mountainous areas of southwestern Yunnan Province are widely distributed and numerous. At this stage, the study is limited to 35 resettlement sites in Linxiang District, Lincang City, which restricts the geographical coverage and generalizability of the findings. 2) Due to limited access to information and research time constraints, the discussion on the generative mechanisms of settlement patterns is primarily qualitative. Future research will aim to incorporate more quantitative analyses to better understand the influencing factors and generative mechanisms of settlement patterns in relocation sites. Additionally, the study will expand its sample to include areas such as Pu’er City and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture to further validate the universality and effectiveness of the research framework and methodologies. This will provide a more comprehensive empirical basis for the study of relocation sites in the mountainous regions of southwestern Yunnan Province. By addressing these limitations, this study aims to contribute to the broader discussion on sustainable development and ecological conservation in rural relocation settlements, and to provide insights that can be applied to similar situations in southwestern Yunnan. Ultimately, this study aims to provide policymakers and planners with ideas on how to achieve a harmonious balance between modernisation, cultural heritage and ecological conservation in promoting the subsequent development of resettlement sites to ensure that the benefits of poverty alleviation can be sustained in the long term.