The theoretical dimension of landscape aesthetics has extended from the fields of scenic aesthetics to the ecological aesthetics at present. In order to promote the further development of ecological aesthetics theory in the direction of "digitalization + visualization" from two aspects which are objective method and spatial level, Helanshan National Nature Reserve in Ningxia was taken as a study case, and a complete research framework was innovatively proposed, including the utilization of geographical elements to construct a classified digital landscape model and the borrowing of landscape metrics which is based on landscape ecology to evaluate visual landscape characteristics. In the first place, this study constructed a set of system of landscape classification indexes on the basis of screening the landscape elements of landform (natural and vertical elements) and land use (cultural and horizontal elements). Then, through the analysis of spatial overlay based on GIS platform, 440 classes of landscape patches and types in the study area were identified in the general, which were mainly used as the basic units for the assessment of visual landscape characteristics. In addition, based on the multi-disciplinary theory of ecological aesthetics, three indexes of visual landscape characteristics assessment, which are, visual landscape diversity, visual landscape naturality, and visual landscape uniqueness, were constructed, which were mainly measured by landscape metrics in the form of borrowing, and all the measurement indexes were visualized by using FRAGSTATs and GIS platforms. At last, the results of spatial distribution about the comprehensive assessment of visual landscape characteristics were calculated and drawn after the weights were obtained by the SPCA method. The results of this study indicated that many interactive landscape elements "aggregated" to produce different levels of visual landscape characteristics. At the same time, the landscape types related to low-level visual landscape characteristics are more complicated in the composition of elements, while the landscape types related to high-level visual landscape characteristics are mainly related to the interaction between landform which is composed of moderate slope, southeast aspect and valley and land use which is dominated by grassland, undeveloped land and arbor forest. It is concluded that, the visual assessment results of visual landscape characteristics will be helpful to identify those landscape patches or types that need to be restored in combination with protection, used scientifically and planned rationally, and managed and coordinated in a complementary way, which is also conducive to increasing the ecological aesthetic value of the whole protected area.