“By the Butterfly Spring” is an interlude song from the romantic comedy film “Five Golden Flowers” produced by Changchun Film Studio in 1959.

The movie told the love story of a pair of Bai youth who made promise of love through antiphonal singing by the butterfly spring in Dali, Yunnan. At that time, the unique tradition of Bai people expressing love through antiphonal singing was still quite unfamiliar to other Chinese ethnics.

Today’s story is well presented in the short animated movie above. You might have already noticed its unique form — Ink and Wash Painting animated film. In 1960, ink-and-wash animated films appeared in China and caught the attention of the world as a breakthrough in the forms of expression and aesthetic conception in animated films.

The story told in this short film was told 2,200+ years ago in the Warring States Period. And it successfully prevented a deadly war between two states.

Quite a few of my foreign friends complained to me that despite the huge size of China, most of Chinese cities and towns look similar no matter where they go. I can’t argue about this and feel sad as well. Fortunately, there are still some remote places where the evil of so-called modernization failed to prevail.

Today I will present you the top 6 most beautiful villages/towns in China.

I am happy to announce that China Carnival is selected by The Blog Carnival Team as today’s Featured Carnival at blogcarnival.com. It is now put up at the top of its homepage.

Obviously, most credit of this honor should be given to you carnival participants. Thank you, my peer bloggers! And Happy May Day — Bloggers of the World, Unite!

I know some of our readers are planning to visit Shanghai for World Expo 2010 (Big Picture by Boston.com). Despite some congestion, overcrowded pavilions and long queues right now, I am sure the Expo will be one of unforgettable events in your life time. However, as the largest and wealthiest city in China, Shanghai has many other attractions you might not want to miss.