A bit too literal

It appears that local government officials in Fumin county, China, have taken the term greenwashing a little too literally:

Villagers in south-western China are scratching their heads over the local government's decision to paint a barren mountainside green, it was reported today.

Workers who began spraying the Laoshou mountain last August told nearby residents they were doing so on the orders of the area authorities, but had not been told why.

Some villagers believed Fumin county officials were attempting to change the area's feng shui - the ancient Chinese belief of harmonising the physical environment for maximum health and financial benefit.

Others suggested it was an unusual attempt to "green" the area in keeping with calls for more attention to the environment.

The mountain's exposed rock, covered in an artificial green the colour of Astroturf, looms over houses against a scrubby background.