Modern China Built a Highway and Lost Something Irreplaceable

Highway expansion is often viewed as a symbol of progress, but in the mountainous Zhuang regions of Southwest China, it also represents a profound cultural crossroads. As modernization, meaning rapid societal and technological development, accelerates, the collision between new infrastructure and long-standing ethnic traditions has become increasingly visible. At the center of this tension lies a story of land, livelihood, and the meanings Zhuang villagers attach to the sacred places that have shaped their communal identity for centuries. Motivated by this dynamic, the authors set out to understand how the push for rapid development interacts with the daily lives and cultural spirit of a community that has historically lived closely with the land.

Led by Dr. Heying Zhan from Georgia State University and Dr. Hai-Xia Zou from Guangxi University for Nationalities, the researchers documented how the G75 Highway project transformed the Zhuang village of Huang in Guangxi Province. Published in the journal Societies, the study reveals how relocation, shifting neighborhood patterns, and the destruction of a locally revered Sacred Rock reshaped not only physical space but also cultural relationships. “Highway construction in China has bolstered Chinese claims of having the longest highways in the world, yet it has led to the involuntary relocation and resettlement of millions of people all over China,” said Dr. Zhan and Zou.

As the highway cut directly across Huang village, over two hundred families had to move, losing large portions of their arable land, the land suitable for growing crops. Many residents, once self-sufficient rice and vegetable farmers, suddenly had to buy their food instead of growing it. Some described the shift as a slide from stability to uncertainty. Formerly, families relied on rice paddies, cornfields, and water buffaloes, but now many turned to migrant labor, meaning temporary work in cities, or small side businesses to make ends meet. Dr. Zhan and Zou note that income opportunities grew for some, yet daily expenses increased more sharply, leading villagers to conclude that their living standards felt lower than before. The changes they describe show how modernization can increase financial activity without truly improving quality of life.

One of the most striking findings involves the village’s transformation of social relations. Because new houses in the resettlement area were assigned by random draw, a system meant to appear fair but blind to cultural needs, traditional Zhuang extended-family clusters were broken apart. Former neighbors ended up separated, while unfamiliar households became immediate neighbors. As a result, tensions increased and community bonds weakened. The study points out that “in the process of modernization, highway construction reconstructs new communities while deconstructing the old one,” a line Dr. Zhan and Zou emphasized. Residents shared memories of a time when disputes were settled through respected elders, a longstanding cultural practice, a method now replaced by administrative intervention or even court involvement. The change represents more than relocation—it marks a shift in how community conflicts are understood and resolved.

Perhaps the most emotional part of the research centers on the Sacred Rock known as She Gong, the community deity and spiritual protector. A deity refers to a revered spiritual figure believed to safeguard the community. During the G75 construction, the rock stood directly in the building path. Villagers organized committees to protect it, but the site was not officially recognized as cultural heritage, which means it was not legally protected by national authorities. Without that status, the rock could not be saved. “The Sacred Rock recognized by the local people was not recognized by the Chinese government,” Dr. Zhan and Zou explained, quoting their findings that “worshiping a rock was considered ‘superstitious’ by the highway engineers and local government officials.” With no viable option for relocation, the Sacred Rock was destroyed by explosives. For villagers, its loss was not only the removal of a landmark—it was the severing of a spiritual anchor that had balanced the village’s four corners and held shared rituals together.

Many elders in the village expressed that the disappearance of the Sacred Rock led to a quiet erosion of cultural life. Festivals became sparse, communal worship faded, and younger villagers increasingly left the region for urban work. Rituals, defined as collective cultural or religious ceremonies, once tied families and neighbors together,  now occur only privately in some homes. Dr. Zhan and Zou highlight that the Zhuang community is experiencing fewer shared communal ceremonies, reduced cultural cohesion, and an ongoing search for new spiritual grounding. At the same time, modern infrastructure has brought new forms of mobility, employment, and access to outside regions. These mixed effects capture the central theme of the study: development is not merely about economic change but about how communities negotiate identity, memory, and belonging.

Dr. Zhan and Zou conclude that while modernization strengthens transportation networks and economic connectivity, it also reshapes social and cultural structures in ways that monetary compensation or new job opportunities cannot fully address. They emphasize that recognizing the meanings of ethnic cultures as defined by the communities themselves is essential for building stronger relationships between majority and minority groups in newly formed settlements. It becomes clear that respecting cultural symbols is not only about heritage preservation but also about supporting the resilience and identity of communities navigating the profound changes brought by large-scale development.

Journal Reference

Zou H-X., Zhan H.J., Tosone A. ““Sacred Rock in the Way”—The Interplay of Modernity and Cultures in the Highway Construction of Southwest China.” Societies, 2025; 15: 207.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15080207

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