On 18 December 2023, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck Jishishan, affecting multiple counties and cities in Gansu and Qinghai Provinces. The seismic intensity of the meizoseismal area was VIII, resulting in extensive structural damage and building collapses. A damage assessment was conducted of the epicenter and surrounding high-intensity zones. To understand the typical structures and characteristics of the buildings that were damaged in these high-intensity zones, this study summarizes the characteristics of the damage to typical rural houses, compares the damage of the rural houses across different sites, and analyzes the causes behind these variations. The findings of the study indicate the following: (1) Timber and some brick–timber structures, due to their age, insufficient material strength, and lack of adequate connections between parts of the building, primarily experienced severe damage or total collapse, characterized by through-wall cracks, partial collapses, or complete collapses. (2) Brick–concrete structures predominantly suffered moderate to severe damage due to factors such as improper layout, uneven façades, and inadequate or incomplete seismic measures. The observed damage included significant wall cracks and extensive damage to two-story buildings. (3) Frame structures, mainly used for public facilities like schools, hospitals, and health centers, exhibited strong integrity and excellent seismic performance, resulting in minimal to no damage, with damage largely confined to non-load-bearing components. (4) The amplification effects of seismic waves in thick loess basin areas, slope sites, and the hanging wall effect of faults exacerbated structural damage to rural houses located in certain villages within the high-intensity areas. The results of this study can serve as a reference for post-disaster reconstruction and seismic retrofitting of buildings and contribute positively to enhancing the disaster resilience of rural housing.

On December 18, 2023, the Jishishan M _S 6.2 earthquake caused serious damage to Jishixiongguan, China, which is a rammed‐earth city wall, and was about 14 km away from the epicenter. There was a large area of collapse and part of the vertical ramming overlap separation phenomenon. Based on the results of earthquake field investigation, the dynamic response of Jishixiongguan under the earthquake was studied by analyzing the maximum displacement, peak acceleration (PA) and stress‐strain distribution characteristics of wall measuring points at different locations, and the mechanism of Jishixiongguan failure induced by Jishishan M _S 6.2 earthquake was given. The results show that the plastic zone initially develops from the bottom erosion of the wall and the transverse through crack at the top of the right‐end, and it rapidly extends downward along the slope into the interior of the wall, resulting in destructive permanent displacement shortly after the peak ground acceleration (PGA) is reached, the maximum plastic strain and maximum displacement occur at transverse through cracks of the right‐wall top. Owing to the wall being constructed against a mountain slope, the amplification effect (AE) of the slope on the displacement of the wall is obvious, and the closer the wall is to the higher parts of the slope, the more significant the AE of the displacement is due to the combined effect of the mountain slope and the wall height. Pre‐existing defects in the wall will weaken the AE of the slope and the wall height on the acceleration, however, the transverse through cracks will enhance the AE of the wall height on the acceleration. Stress concentration caused by hollowed‐out overhangs and stress discontinuity caused by the transverse through crack is the internal factor of the wall failure, the plastic yield of soil caused by the AE of slope and wall height on displacement is the external factor of large‐scale collapse of wall. The research results can provide theoretical guidance for the restoration and reinforcement of ancient sites.