The inheritance and preservation of rural culture is important in the construction of beautiful countryside. But in the planning of rural settlement space, the designers lack of professional judgment and choice for the preservation and application of the rural cultural elements. Therefore, it is very necessary to study the extraction and application of rural cultural elements. The connotation, characteristics and application of rural cultural elements are the key issues of research. At the same time, it also preliminarily explores the relationship between the elements of rural culture and other cultural elements.