In recent years, rural-to-urban migration has reached an unprecedented level in China and is posing severe challenges to both Chinas economy and society. The impact of such mass migration on village development has been the subject of active debate in the previous decade. Living in local peasants households, the author has conducted case studies in three selected villages in the Hunan Province. She developed a detailed picture of the genuine situation in each village through observation of peasants experiences and analysis of a wide variety of accounts. This study develops strong arguments...