Chi'an village in Jiangyin is surrounded by waterways. [Photo/WeChat account: news-wuxixinwen]

Seven villages in Wuxi, East China's Jiangsu province, were recently listed as characteristic villages by provincial authorities.

Nanguo village in Changjing town, Jiangyin, is dedicated to building a tourism village based on local rice and wheat culture. The village is also a chive planting base.

Tongzhu village is embraced on three sides by green hills. [Photo/WeChat account: news-wuxixinwen]

Boasting a history of nearly 1,200 years, Chi'an village in Jiangyin is surrounded by waterways. Aiming to improve its living environment and the well-beings of local villagers, Chi'an is integrating agriculture with tourism. Crisscrossing roads in the fields, neat residential buildings, lotus-filled ponds, and fruit-loaded orchards can all be found in the village.

Tongzhu village in Xinjie subdistrict, Yixing is embraced on three sides by green hills with the Tongzhu river zigzaging through. Leveraging its beautiful scenery, Tongzhu is developing the tourism industry and has created a rural fair brand, the "Tongzhu Twelve Months Fair", to vitalize the local economy.

A bird's-eye view of Dafangqiao village in Xinwu district. [Photo/WeChat account: news-wuxixinwen]

Nearly 80 percent of the land in Xujin village, Yixing is covered with thick forest. Still, with the Yiguang Road running through the village, access remains convenient.

Yixing's Jinzi village is dotted with paddy fields and features a scenic countryside, Huangtutang village in Xishan district is characterized by watermelon crops, and Dafangqiao village in Xinwu district is blessed with a long history and a soil and climate uniquely suited for farming grapes.