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Due to the publicity from the Asian Games, the area needed to be seen as a harmonious existence
between modern urban planning and traditional village culture. However, the researchers in 2008
suggested that Xiancun was only decorated on the outside surface for urban aesthetics, while the inside
remained untouched. Inside Xiancun, it was still the same chaos; diverse livelihoods intermingling, and
poor or non‐existenjt urban planning with narrow building widths[5](p. 39).
In 2019, during this site visit, Xiancun’s social housing community stages one and two have
already been completed. Stage three, four, and five are under construction (Figure 18 to Figure 20).
Xiancun is thus being eradicated by the local government. Only a few urban village buildings are left
onsite. Xiancun is an excellent example of how quickly an urban village can disappear and what can
happen in 10 years of time. Towers of social housing development can be seen on site (Figure 21 to
Figure 23); residents who used to own the land have now become billionaires with a large number of
compensation fees.
Figure 18. Xiancun urban village under demolition 1
Figure 19. Xiancun urban village and its surrounding context
Figure 20. Xiancun urban village under demolition 2
Figure 21. New Xiancun – social housing development
In contrast with the aforementioned urban villages, Xiancun is slated to become a fully gated
community. The chaos and the livelihood, the culture, and the community seem to be all but gone now;
what is left are newly constructed purpose‐built buildings and new apartments. It is undoubtedly
economically beneficial for the locals and new social housing renters. However, migrant workers who
once lived in Xiancun regret the loss of the place they described as their “first home in the city.” They
had to leave and find other placed to live. Andersson argues that migrant workers often have a spatial
attachment – similar to “translocal belongingness” with urban village neighbourhood[5](p. 44), while
trying to stay in the city, they relate to the city and reshape themselves when they first arrive at the city
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