ABSTRACT
The existing literature on rural China characterizes socioeconomic diversity as a uniquely regional phenomenon: north versus south, coastal versus inland, urban versus rural. Unlike most work done at the village level, this book shows the large variations between the twenty-three villages within one suburban township, including wide differences in size, lineage structure, economic activities, and levels of well-being. Furthermore, these village differences are intimately linked to historical variations which are just as striking.
