OREANDA-NEWS. August 25, 2011.  In an annual competitiveness report, Hong Kong-based China Institute of City Competitiveness (CICC) gives its ranking of the country's 10 most beautiful towns and villages, and Huangcun of Anhui province is among them.

China's vast territory is dotted with many picturesque towns and villages, which boast cultural relics, distinctive architectures and rustic pleasures.

Hongcun village is located in Yixian county at the foot of the southwestern slope of Huangshan Mountain, Anhui province. With morning mist, stone bridges, white walls, water lily ponds and hills, it has been described as a village out of a traditional Chinese ink painting. Besides halls, pavilions and temples, the village consists of 160 ancient residences. These architectures, with fantastic stone carvings, were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties and widely regarded as the best historic sites throughout China.

Travel Tips:

Admission: 104 yuan

Getting there: From the city of Yixian, take a special tricycle taxi or rent a vehicle.

Here are the other nine most beautiful towns and villages ranked by CICC: Niudachang town of Guizhou province,Peitian town of Fujian province, Heijing town of Yunnan province, Sanxiang town of Guangdong province,Furong town of Hunan province,Maolan town of Guizhou proviince, Zhouzhuang town of Jiangsu province, Wuzhen town of Zhejiang province, Wuyuan village of Jiangxi province.