The process and mechanisms of rural revitalization empowered by residential land system reform: A case study of Dayu county, Jiangxi province

The reform of the rural residential land system has long been a critical issue in the study of Chinese rural affairs, and its importance has become increasingly prominent within the context of the rural revitalization strategy. In response to the relative lack of research on how this reform empowers rural revitalization, this paper selects Dayu county in Jiangxi province, a national pilot area for rural residential land system reform, as a case study. Using qualitative methods such as documentary analysis, field investigations, and semi-structured interviews, this study examines the process and mechanisms through which the residential land reform enables rural revitalization. The findings reveal that the key actors involved in this empowerment process include governments at various levels, rural grassroots communities, and social capital. The process unfolds around three main actors through three stages: policy implementation by local governments, institutional practice through collaborative self-governance at the grassroots level, and policy response via industrial embedding by social capital actors. Throughout this process, the subjectivity construction of rural communities, the embedded governance of governmental institutions, and the capital allocation and market linkages facilitated by enterprises serve as the internal, external, and core forces, respectively, enabling rural revitalization through the reform. Together, these elements form a three-dimensional (institution-capital-community) framework that drives reform and contributes to rural revitalization. This research offers theoretical and policy implications for the scientific, rational, and efficient utilization of rural residential land and provides directions for advancing rural revitalization.