Paddy field pictures attract hordes of visitors to Ningxia

Paddy fields in Helan county, in northwestern China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, have been planted to please the eye as well as produce rice.

From a 100-meter-tall observation tower nearby, visitors can see seven-color images of the Monkey King, fairies and the God of Longevity - all characters in the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West.

The paddy field pictures were the brainchild of a local company hoping to boost tourism. Since their completion in 2012, the pictures have attracted about 200,000 visitors every year.