Abstract: The construction of new rural communities is of great significance to the modernization of rural governance, the improvement of rural public services and the improvement of rural living environment. However, in the process of practice, there are some problems such as not respecting the wishes of farmers, not considering the follow-up security, and blindly promoting the construction of ‘new rural community’. On the basis of reviewing the development process of rural communities and combing the current problems, this paper suggests that ‘rural community’ should lead the rural social governance, and ‘rural residential area’ should lead the construction of rural living environment. Through the improvement of supporting policies, promote the construction of rural communities and rural residential areas, and realize the modernization of rural governance and human settlements.