Abstract
From the field survey of the main ethnic minority areas in the south China, it is found that political, economic, cultural and natural environmental changes are the main reasons leading to the change of customary law. The power mechanism of the customary law change include the three aspects, such as the promotion of country elite, the dominance of grassroots government, and the daily demands of the villagers, which promote the change of customary law alone or together. Through the application of customary law, the country elites can adjust and refine the rules of customary law in order to make out the new customary law and promote its development. In the current pattern of rural governance, grassroots self-government is actually the "official supervision of people's autonomy". The executive power of the grassroots government often intervene the practice of customary law and other informal rules. This is another mechanism of customary law change. Customary law arises from the practice of the daily life of the villagers. If the villagers think that the norms of customary law cannot meet the actual needs of daily life practice, the customary law will be promoted in the form of collective consultation. This is the most important dynamic practice mechanism of customary law change. Transformation and abandonment are the two ways to change customary law. No matter what kind of change does not lead to the demise of the customary law system, the demise of the customary law is only an outdated result, which is made by the universality, nature and objectivity of customary law. The procedure of customary law change is the process of continuation and rebirth about customary law. The result of the change is to produce the new customary law of keeping pace with the times, and the customary law will be presented with new content and form after the change. The continuation of customary law means the inheritance of traditional customary law, but it is based on the transformation of traditional customary law. The rebirth of customary law means that the traditional customary law is completely discarded. But it will produce new customary law rules and be based on the needs of social life practice. Customary law occupies a pivotal position in the normative system and the national law cannot be replaced. The purpose of customary law change will let the customary rules better adapt to the development of modern society, adjust the social relations more reasonably and better meet people's needs of production and life, which is decided by the character of customary law.