With the proposal of national spatial planning, China's urban-rural planning system has entered a new period of development, and the traditional national spatial development dominated by production space development has also turned to the new national spatial development, in which ecological, living and production spaces are coordinated. However, how to promote the cognition from the traditional national territorial area based on the concept of "Sansheng spaces" (production, living and ecological space) to the complex national attractive territorial area that enriches cultural context, ecological traits, and life foundation, balance the development priorities of different regions, so as to avoid blindly follow the single development model, are major themes facing both the central and local governments. From the perspective of the combination of history and reality, this paper, on the basis of reviewing the spatial cognitive process and rethinking the practice of spatial planning, clarifies the concept and connotation of "national attractive territorial area", puts forward the focus of "national attractive territorial area" in the national spatial planning system, as well as expounds the role and functionality of the "national attractive territorial area" from the aspects of balanced regional development, flexible management adjustment, spatial element flow, and development goal optimization.