Abstract
<jats:p>This book examines its subject from three perspectives, adopting historical documents, fieldwork, and other methods, and drawing on documentary and oral history sources. Firstly, it traces the immigration history of the Wuling ethnic area from the pre-Qin period to the late Qing Dynasty. It clarifies the main sources of immigration, the types of immigrants, and the scale and distribution of immigration during various historical periods based on the development of Chinese history and the local conditions of the Wuling area. Secondly, it explores the transformations within the immigrant and indigenous societies. It focuses on how immigrants establish a new social order and structure in their new locations after leaving their original social structures, and the structural changes and social adjustments within the indigenous society following the arrival of immigrants. Thirdly, it assesses the historical significance of immigration and social change. It emphasizes uncovering the micro-mechanisms behind the formation and development of the Chinese nation during the interactions and integration between the Han and other ethnic minorities in peripheral regions.</jats:p>