Abstract: Language is not only a tool for human communication,but also carries historical memory,emotional experience and social culture of language practitioners.In the process of integrating with cultures of the surrounding ethnic groups,the Waxiang people,who live in the Yuanshui River and Youshui River basins (in Xiangxi,the west of Hunan Province in general),have formed a distinctive local dialect,"Xianghua",as it is called.The spatial perception and local naming in the system of rural dialect are linguistic symbols of multiple relational wills,from which we can not only observe the perception and imagination of different ethnic groups towards the world around them,but also understand the track of ethnic connection and the picture of cultural integration.The case of language contact of Waxiang people shows that language identity is not only a specific form of ethnic culture sharing,but also an important way to forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.

Key words: Waxiang people, dialect, language contact, cultural integration, to forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation