The Story Of Xi Village

Since China’s reform and opening-up policy, with the acceleration of marketization, industrialization and urbanization, the rapid changes have taken place in social structure in our country. Especially the breakage of the urban-rural dual social structure, promote the rapid development o rural society. In the development of rural, rural elite has always been an important force to promote the development of rural society. At any time, they are leaders, promoters and foregoers of rural social development.In this research, is given priority to the life study method. By personal interview and communication with the Xi village’s secretary Zhang, let him tell the story of his life experience. Based on the origin of reform and opening up, the life course is divided into four stages: Before reform and opening, The first decade after the reform and opening-up, The second decade after the reform and opening up,The third decade after the reform and opening up. By reviewing his personal experience with a series of stories, to describe and reflect the Xi village‘s development since the reform and opening-up more than 30 years ago. The research shows: on the one hand, Secretary Zhang’s life course is integrated into the whole social life. Great social changes have effect on his individual life course, such as The Cultural Revolution, The Land Reform, The Family Planning Policy, and so on. On the other hand, Secretary Zhang is also a subjective initiative. He is not just negative, passive adaptation and inherits to the whole society change, but proactive to change their destiny. His own efforts have brought profound changes to himself and villages. He becomes a well-known “Top ten village official” and a municipal labor model in Baqiao District from an ordinary and simple peasant. Xi village has become one of the most beautiful countryside in Xian from a remote and backward village under his lead.Secretary Zhang brings infinite possibility to the economic and social development of Xi village, which promotes the transition of Xi village production mode, life style and the reconstruction of the village politics. Firstly,industrial structure from the traditional farming to the modern rural tourism, that is, from the first industry to the tertiary industry. The per capital net income has turned from just 300 or 400 yuan at the beginning of reform and opening-up to 15000 yuan now. Villagers’ occupational structure has experienced a transformation process, which is “pure agricultural household�' Part-time agricultural household�' specialized peasant households”. Secondly, the development of market economy changes people’s way of thinking imperceptibly. Also make the villagers’ daily interactions tend to be more rational. Villagers’ daily life becomes more colorful. Finally, the villagers as the owner of the village, management consciousness and management ability has more enhanced. Democratic election of Xi village has been more programmed and standardization.In the part of conclusion,the paper analyses the effects of rural elite in the development of economy, politics and society. Through the analysis of change power in Xi village we know that: Secretary Zhang’s personal role is the main driver of Xi village change. The Factors such as the modernization of the villagers, the government and market also plays an irreplaceable role in the change of the Xi village. At the same time,in the further thinking,the author pointes out the three dimensions of agriculture, rural areas and farmers, namely the development of ecological sightseeing agriculture, beautiful rural construction and cultivating professional farmers. Secretary Zhang’s personal life history data is not only a reflection of the living fossil of the Xi village social change. With the similar cases in China, we can clearly see the whole trajectory and shadow of Chinese rural social change from his experience.