“Beautiful Countryside”: Green Development and the Making of Rural Urbanization in China

Abstract This paper examines the “beautiful countryside,” a newly initiated state rural development programme emphasizing “greening” and beautification elements, in western China. It explores how local bureaucrats, village leaders and planners implement the programme, which stresses the importance of greening and green development, on the ground. It also analyses how local officials and villagers understand the programme. By highlighting the significance of the greening and aesthetic elements of the project, as well as local government officials’ interpretation and understanding of programme implementation, this paper argues that constructing the “beautiful countryside” is a form of aesthetic governmentality. While this initiative constructs tidy and beautiful spaces, it also shapes subjectivities towards building a city-like modern space to promote rural urbanization in the countryside.