Rapeseed fields carpet a village in Wuyuan in spring.

Wuyuan, also known as a "Green Pearl", borders the provinces of Anhui, Zhejiang and Jiangxi.

The beauty of Wuyuan is its rural setting; its age-old villages, green hills, winding streams and vast fields define a quiet and leisurely life.

The small bridges dotting the landscape and the houses' white walls and black-tiled roofs reflect the area's ancient roots. Each stone is engraved with musings of great scholars and every stream winding its way through the fields and villages determines the pulse of life here. The splendid ancient buildings continue to stand, even after so many years.

Wuyuan has been home to many influential figures in Chinese history, including Zhu Xi (1130-1200), a famous scholar of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and railroad engineer Zhan Tianyou (1861-1919), who is known as the "father of China's railway".

Wuyuan's beautiful scenery and well-preserved cultural heritage make it a popular destination for tourists from home and abroad.

(China Daily March 26, 2009)