One region that combines well-preserved villages with otherworldly scenery is Huizhou, about 400km southwest of Shanghai.

BBC: Rural adventures in China��s backcountry

Last year, developers in Huizhou unveiled a brick-for-brick replica of the Austrian village of Hallstatt, complete with its cobblestone streets, historic church and even sidewalk cafes.

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In the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644), Huizhou merchants began to make a name for themselves for their trading prowess, dealing first in locally produced timber and tea and then expanding into the lucrative salt trade.

BBC: Rural adventures in China��s backcountry

By the Qing dynasty (1644 to1912), many Huizhou men had consolidated their capital to open a string of pawnshops in major cities such as Beijing, and they funnelled their profits home to fund the construction of lavish residences for their wives and children.

BBC: Rural adventures in China��s backcountry

But the church eventually found less sophisticated officials in Huizhou, near Hong Kong, and sold them the idea (one local dignitary at the time was under the impression that Panda was one of America's Big Four car makers, according to Eric Harwit, an expert on China's car industry at the University of Hawaii).

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