Community-based grassroots governance has been framed and endorsed as an exemplary model of social governance in China. This article explores how this governing philosophy is interpreted and appropriated within a migrant community in Yiwu, where language serves as a critical nexus between macro-level policy and micro language planning processes. Drawing on the Foucauldian-inspired notion of 'language governmentality', the study explores how Confucius Classroom and Chinese corner, with their distinctive pedagogy, have contributed to the development of 'technologies of self-governance', enabling migrants to lead in mediating community issues while allowing authorities to retreat into the distance. This article demonstrates the value and dynamics of multilingualism in addressing the social issues and social concerns emerging from 'globalisation from below'. The findings have important implications for language practice and management in ethnolinguistically diverse communities, highlighting the importance of understanding local linguistic realities and the role of multilingualism in fostering social integration and social governance.