China takes DIY approach to mountain greenery

Villagers in south-western China are scratching their heads over the local government's decision to paint a barren mountainside green.

Workers who began spraying the Laoshou mountain last August told nearby residents they were doing so on the orders of the area authorities, but had not been told why.



Some villagers believed Fumin county officials were to change the area's feng shui - the ancient Chinese belief of harmonising the physical environment for maximum health and financial benefit.

Others suggested it was an unusual attempt to "green" the area in keeping with calls for more attention to the environment.

China's official Xinhua News Agency estimated the cost of the paint job at 470,000 yuan (£31,247) and quoted villagers as saying that, if spent on plants and trees, the money could have restored a far greater area of barren mountain.