Wandering in the villages of Wuyuan County in spring offers refreshing views of hills covered in rape flowers, green farmland, exuberant camphor trees, creeks and small rapids. Lingering on an old bridge as the soft rain bounces off gurgling streams, you can sail through time to a Xanadu of peace and tranquility.

Wuyuan is known not only for its natural scenery, but also for its glorious past. The remote county was home to some of China's top scholars, including Zhu Xi, a Confucius master in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), and Zhan Tianyou, China's first railway engineer. Thousands of Wuyuan people passed the civil imperial examinations -- examinations for selecting government officials in feudal dynasties -- and climbed high in the official ladder. The remote county was home to some of China's top scholars and some of the country's richest merchants. Back in their hometowns, these wealthy merchants would often construct majestic homes and elaborate ancestral temples so their families and forefathers could share in their success.

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