Erdem Ozturk (left) poses for a photo with his girlfriend in front of a sunflower field in Xiafengcha village, Ninghai county, Ningbo. [Photo/Ningbo Evening News]

Erdem Ozturk, a Turkish expat, recently embarked on a tour of two villages in Ningbo's Ninghai county.

"The countryside in Ninghai is nothing like what I imagined it to be. It is so beautiful!" said Ozturk, who has been in China for 10 years. 

During his visit, he got to pick tea, vegetables and watermelons in Xiafengcha village, Yuelong sub-district before going fishing in Xiashan village in Qiangjiao town.

The villages are adorned with artistic creations, and the residents are always smiling and kind, said Ozturk.

Before this trip, Ozturk visited Gejia village, which is also in Ninghai county. There, villagers are encouraged to renovate their surroundings using art, with almost all decorations in the village are made by the residents.

"It's very clean, and there are pictures on the walls, flowers everywhere, and the villagers have their own unique skills, all of which are very impressive," wrote Ozturk in an essay published in a foreign magazine. 

These villages are the beneficiaries of a city-wide campaign launched by Ningbo to transform villages into scenic spots. To date, more than 200 such villages have been built across the city, said a local official.