Abstract: The long-term and stable development of rural settlements has its inherent logic and laws. Schema is the interpretation of its laws. This paper analyzes the spatial schema of rural settlements in the hilly and mountainous areas of eastern Sichuan from different perspectives with methods of current situation investigation, literature review and graphic analysis. The results show that: (1) The rural settlements have the ideological roots of "cosmological schema" pursued by the traditional construction; (2) The whole rural settlements in the hills and mountains of eastern Sichuan province have the schema of concentric sphere of material space, the schema of life, production and ecological function, and the schema of social network of productive forces and production relations; (3) The spatial pattern of settlement buildings shows the characteristics of "connecting lines and points". The space of single buildings has the symmetry and centrality of typical traditional buildings; (4)The spatial schema of settlement spiritual culture is self-centered and pursues the ideal vision under the influence of ritual thought. Finally, some suggestions on the development of rural settlement spatial schema are put forward.