Representatives of more than 30 Chinese media organizations visited Gaochun, a quiet county only an hour's drive away from Jiangsu's provincial capital Nanjing, on Oct 19.

Visitors walk along the plank road in the Zhousijian village in Gaochun county, Jiangsu province, on Oct 19. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The visit represents the first stop in a five-day tour of the spectacular countryside in Jiangsu province. The "2015 China Media Tour" organized by the Jiangsu Tourism Bureau explored in Gaochun county the unique serenity of the "slow city" as it is often referred to.

Gaochun was named the "slow city" by Cittaslow, an international movement founded in Italy in 1999 to preserve leisurely lifestyles in small towns around the world, in 2010.

To better preserve its natural environment, Gaochun has cordoned off 70 percent of its territory and declared it as "no-industry development zone". Therefore, farming and tourism remain as the main sources of income for local people.

A tourist takes a selfie in a tea garden in Gaochun county, Jiangsu province, on Oct 19. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

The county boasts extensive tea gardens and sea of flowers along the winding paths, and is known for its healthy, nutritious home-grown and home-cooked food. Visitors have a range of choices to enjoy a leisurely stay, including picking tea, going fishing with local residents, and riding bicycles through the sea of flowers.

"In modern day life, we are under pressure with a tight schedule and fierce competition － even just commuting at rush hours every day can make people anxious. So the natural beauty and the slow pace of life here really appeal to me,“ said Li Xinxin from Beijing. She vowed to come back to Gaochun again to ”seek seclusion“.

Riding along the winding paths in the company of flowers is surely a pleasant experience. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Edited by Mevlut Katik