Second homes, amenity-led change and consumption-driven rural restructuring: The case of Xingfu village, China

This paper explores the linkages established by second home developers and owners with local residents in host communities, and further discusses how these extra-local linkages stimulate amenity-led change and rural restructuring. Research, comprising a mix of semi-structured interviews and site visits, was conducted in Xingfu village, China. That research focused on the increasing importance of extra-local economic and social capital to consumption-driven rural restructuring. Urban incursion not only drives change in the rural economy, but also brings important landscape and community impacts: a once homogenous and stable community is now characterized by dynamism and heterogeneity. The research draws attention to interactions between extra-local and local actors over time, as the second home industry in the area grows, and aims to contribute greater understanding of the exogenous drivers of rural restructuring, especially in the Chinese and developing country context.

Automated summary

This paper discusses the connections established by second home developers and owners with local residents in host communities, and how these connections influence amenity-led change and rural restructuring. The research highlights the impacts of urban incursion on the rural economy, landscape, and community dynamics.