Shuiwei Village [Shenzhen]

Shuiwei could be the only village in China with a stone museum. Many precious stones — most of them from several private collections — are on display, including one stone said to be worth 2 million yuan (US$246,609).

Zhuang Weicai, head of the village, is a fan of stones, and his interest has spread to other villagers, who might otherwise spend their time simply living off their income from leased apartments.

The village's love of stones can be seen in the large stone at the village entrance. The name of the village was carved on the stone by well-known contemporary calligrapher Shen Peng.

Villagers are proud of their ancestor, who, they say, is ancient Chinese philosophy Zhuang Zi (circa 369 B.C.-286 B.C.), with most of the villagers surnamed Zhuang. Honoring their ancestor, the village has placed a large sculpture of Zhuang Zi at the village entrance. Although there is no official document showing the village's blood ties with the philosopher, it is widely believed that a person named Zhuang Nanyuan established the village about 700 years ago. Older villagers say Zhuang Nanyuan's ancestors lived in Central China's Henan Province.