Immigrants from the Waixiao Dam During the Hongwu Era

Balancing regional population density: In the late Yuan and early Ming, warfare and famine caused populations in places such as Huguang to plummet, leaving land barren, while Jiangxi remained relatively densely populated. Large numbers of migrants from Waxieba moved to Huguang and other regions, rapidly increasing their populations, changing the uneven distribution of people, and promoting a more rational allocation of population and land resources. This provided abundant labor for local economic development.

Expanding the space available for people to live: Migrants moved to new areas, extending the range of human settlement. In a wider space, people reclaimed wasteland and developed production, expanding the areas where they could live. This eased population pressure in their former homes to some extent and created conditions for future population growth in China.

Promoting population integration

- Encouraging ethnic integration: The migrants included people of different ethnic groups. Living alongside ethnic minorities and others in their new homes, they exchanged ideas and influenced one another in language, culture, and customs, enriching Chinese culture, strengthening ethnic cohesion, and promoting the development of a unified, multiethnic state.

- Accelerating regional cultural integration: Migrants from Waxieba came from different regions and brought their own cultures, production techniques, and ways of life. These encountered and blended with local cultures, creating new regional characteristics and promoting cultural exchange and transmission. They also forged closer cultural ties between people from different regions.