Guzhang, in the Tujia-Miao autonomous prefecture of Hunan province, is a small county with a population of 140,000. The area does not seem as prosperous as most counties in China but it has its own vitality and charm.

The county government is based in Guyang town, a small and tranquil place, according to a member of staff from the government's publicity department.

He said there were three things visitors to Guzhang should not miss: tea, mountains and its ancient villages.

A song from Chinese folk singer Song Zuying, a Guzhang native, depicts everyday life in the countryside region where farmers carry buckets on their backs to pick tea leaves on sunny days, with the green mountains behind them and clouds floating above.

Shutouxi Tea Cultivation Base is the county's major tea and tea product production area.

The base uses a mixed management system of cooperative community, individual farmers and the modern corporation.

The county has just submitted a request to be appointed as the country's organic tea cultivation county.

Tea plants cover the mountains along the river and at the foot of the mountains there are villages that are home to the Miao ethnic group.

A local guide said it was not a busy time for the farmers so there may not be a lot of bucket carriers around the village, but workers from the Yingmeizi Tea Co were still working on the mountain.

The local company's name, yingmeizi, means a girl named Ying, and was named after the county's famous singer Song Zuying.

Long Zigang, the tea company's president said that people in Guzhang have cultivated tea for nearly 2,000 years.

Guzhang tea was a royal tribute to the emperor during the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The company still uses traditional cultivation, picking and producing methods with some renewed practices, said Long.

Long Xiaoyu was wearing a white hat and light blue mask while she packaged tea in the manufacturing workshop. Each day the 40-year-old processes 3,000 packs of tea, which each weigh 3 grams.

The Guzhang native used to work in a factory in Jiangsu province, far away from her hometown, but she decided to return.

The packs of tea she helps produce are exported from the village to the rest of the country and overseas.

Maojian, the country's best-known green tea, is sold in more than 100 retail locations in Beijing, Shanghai and Changsha, the capital city of Hunan.

Guzhang tea products are exported to more than 30 countries around the world.

Stone Forest

The most spectacular scene in Guzhang, the Red Stone Forest, sits on a mountain more than 20 kilometers away from the town.

The forest is a cluster of irregularly shaped limestones formed from years of erosion.

Because the area is rich in iron the stones are red, which is a very rare and unique sight.

The local guide said that the color of the stones changes in different seasons, times of the day and weather conditions.

The Red Stone Forest stands alone as a spectacular sight while the Zuolong Canyon is a magnificent combination of mountain and water, said the guide.

Three million years of erosion have helped to carve out the canyon, which has steep cliffs on either side.

The canyon got its name, Zuolong, which means a sitting dragon, because when it rains the canyon makes a sound like a dragon's roar.

During hot summer days people walking into the canyon area feel a sudden coolness that calms them down, said the guide. To exit the canyon people have to climb a steep cliff high on the mountain and return to the old world they came from.

The route out takes in views of the waterfall, stream and river, with clear water and fresh air.

The guide said the journey was worth the effort, especially when the sight of a group of ancient villages greets you when you exit the canyon.

Folk culture

The Tujia and Miao ethnic groups account for 40 and 45.4 percent of the county's population respectively.

Ancient villages and their cultures are well preserved in the county.

The largest Miao village in the area is Morong Miao Village. The village's buildings, traditional clothes and dance performances are popular around the world. Miao people have a range of festivals, which they celebrate by playing Miao drums and performing lion dances.

Singing Miao songs during work to boost morale is a time-honored tradition and still part of everyday life.

Laosiyan Village, in the Red Stone Forest Town, has the most Tujia buildings.

The village has been a crucial area for many years and economically it has been very prosperous since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

The name laosiyan means the rock of Laosi. Laosi, or Tulaosi refers to the priest of the Tujia religion.

Villagers said that there was a legend that said a Tulaosi prayed for rain in a cave but died there and became a stone statue. The stream in front of the cave was named Laosi Stream to remember the priest.

Among the old, wooden Tujia buildings, several villagers washed their clothes by the stream. Time has done nothing to the village or Guzhang county.

  Red stone forest is a big attraction in Guzhang county, Hunan province.

ZHAO HUAFENG/CHINA DAILY

A farmer makes tea in Guzhang。

Zuolong Gorge in Guzhang is a paradise for summer holidays.

The Tujia ethnic group perform a special dance.

 Qifeng Lake in Guzhang attracts visitors from home and abroad.