Villages at the urban fringe-the social dynamics of Xiaozhou

Peri-urban villages in south China are regenerating by developing their own productive economy, in some cases with art as the driving focus. Is a new community emerging from the co-habitation of artists and villagers? This study examines community relations among villagers, artists and students in Xiaozhou, Guangzhou in the context of threats to the village's long-term survival. Structured and semi-structured questionnaires with all three groups, in-depth interviews with artists and a field survey were employed. Artists and villagers have gradually increased their interactions, with villagers participating in the artistic life of the community and artists establishing longer-term relations with their hosts. The arrival of art students has altered the economic foundation of these relationships, threatening the survival of the art community as well as much of the historic building fabric.