Apart from its wonderful natural scenery, the city of Lishui in East China's Zhejiang province also offers tourists the chance to explore ancient villages which are suffused with a strong rural flavor, that evoke a distinctive local idiomatic style.

Lishui's Songyang county is a region containing more than 100 traditional villages, whose geographical isolation has preserved their charm and maintained a way of farming that has been used for centuries. It was highly praised by the Chinese National Geography magazine as the Last Mysterious Land in Jiangnan (最后的江南秘境).

Let's take a cloud trip to some of the best villages in Songyang.

Yangjiatang village

[Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

Yangjiatang is a small village of only 18 buildings. With their distinctive yellow mud walls, black and gray roofs and abundant trees, the village retains an air of unhurried tranquility. After all, the buildings have a history spanning more than 350 years, according to locals.

Songzhuang village

[Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

Songzhuang village may not surprise you at first glance, but when you take a closer look, you'll discover its unique charm. Surrounded by creeks, the place is quiet and still and you can take in the lifestyle of a bygone era at your leisure. Wandering around, you can bump into old ladies washing clothes by the creek or watch chicken and ducks passing by.

Pingtian village

[Photo/lsnews.com.cn]

Pingtian village, built by the mountains, retains the old ways of working the land, including terrace farming. Due to its high altitude, it's the place to appreciate the clouds and mist. You can also get some hands-on experience of the local handicrafts.