The Journey of a Community: A Case Study of the Han Family in Xi Village chronologizes the establishment and evolution of Xi Village.  

Chapter 1 sets the stage, casting us back to the Ming Dynasty (1368) as we embark on a captivating journey through the evolution of the Chen family. Chapters 2 through 5 trace the family's rise, independence, and diversification, as well as the evolution of the family’s internal structure, external relations, and local systems, across the Ming and Qing dynasties. Chapters 6 to 7 reveal the external forces that reshaped the once-isolated Xi Village and invite readers to witness how the social control model, rising in the early 20th century, infiltrated the community, leaving its mark on the Chen family. Chapter 8 then turns our attention to the transformation of folk culture in the village, detailing the Chen family's encounters with the broader social landscape after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Chapters 9 to 12 bring us to the present day, delving into the political and economic realities that followed rural economic reform and seeking to understand the form, function, and motivations behind the revival of tradition.

The Journey of a Community offers a compelling narrative on China's complex society through the intimate lens of the Chen family and their village, uncovering the local knowledge they carry and illuminating the intricate relationship between tradition and change.