Change of peplel's life space in Northwest China under the reform and opening policy and the western development policy

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The Northwestern China has severely dry climate and complicated composition of ethnic minorities. It is the remotest inland and the underdeveloped area located far from the eastern coastal region. The contemporary Chinese government is giving priority of investment to this region under the western development policy. The purpose of this research is to investigate how the reform and opening policy and the western development policy have changed local industries, market and communities as well as life space and life style of local residents. In order to accomplish this purpose, the research team cooperated with scientists from the study areas and conducted intensive fieldwork there. The main findings of the work we as follow;1) Even in the Northwestern Region the capitals of provinces or prefectures have experienced rapid urbanization, boom of construction of apartments and outbreak of so called urban villages.2) Even in the Northwestern Region the extension of motorways has brought broad circulation of goods and development of wholesale markets. Retail markets there have changed from street markets to indoor markets, and super markets have become popular became of increase of income.3) Rural area of Northwestern Region is generally speaking very poor, and people work away from home or become so called ecological migrants. So mobility of residents is rather high.4) Some limited rural areas gain relatively high income from market product like onion or Japanese pepper.5) The ethnic minorities in Northwestern Region keep their original religions and want to reconstruct their own ethnic culture under the reform and opening policy.6) Those ethnic culture as well as affluent historical heritage in Northwestern Region have become the object of expending mass-tourisam.