In the context of human settlement environment research, “locality” emphasizes spatial expression based on local characteristics, while “modernity” tends to focus on spatial expression of functionalism. The two may seem contradictory, but in reality, they complement each other. Based on the perspective of the dialectical unity of “locality” and “modernity”, this article evaluates the research progress on the characteristics and cultural inheritance of landscape spaces in rural areas of water network south of the Yangtze River in China from 1984 to 2023. Based on 498 valid literature selected, the article uses bibliometric analysis to identify research hot spots, including six aspects: morphological cognition, evolutionary cognition, value cognition, mechanism cognition of landscape spaces, theoretical research and practical exploration of the cultural inheritance of landscape spaces. Based on the further analysis of literature content, this article reviews the progress of research in various directions and proposes five research prospects to address the limitations of the research, including constructing a cognitive framework for landscape spatial form, expanding the research content of landscape spatial evolution, exploring a multi-dimensional value evaluation system for landscape space, emphasizing the research on the “process” of landscape spatial mechanism, and bridging the theoretical research and practical exploration of cultural inheritance. The study aims to provide reference for the research on the characteristics and cultural inheritance of landscape spaces in rural areas of water network south of the Yangtze River, and to provide theoretical reference for the planning and design practice of rural landscapes in the region.