Nanjianyan scenic spot, Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, China. (Photo: VCG)

Legislative measures will be taken to protect the largest traditional village cluster in Lishui City, east China's Zhejiang Province, local authorities said Monday.

The regulation of Lishui City on traditional village protection was approved by the Standing Committee of the Zhejiang Provincial People's Congress last Friday to set up a traditional village protection zone which consists of the core protection area and the construction-prohibited area. The regulation will take effect on Nov. 11.

Lishui boasts the largest traditional village cluster in east China, with 158 traditional villages, accounting for 39.4 percent of the total in Zhejiang Province.

Below are four tourist destinations that showcase the beauty of these traditional villages.

Traditional architecture is a core element in the preservation of the traditional villages, for which the regulation has created a list to clarify the standards when it comes to reconstruction and renovation of the architecture.

Residents in the traditional villages are encouraged to live and work in their hometowns, developing rural tourism, exhibiting local culture, agricultural production, education and vocational training, as well as modern service industries.

A national survey in 2012 showed the vast majority of traditional villages were disappearing into China's urbanization vortex, which has taken tens of millions of farmers to the cities. Since then, the effort to protect traditional villages has risen to national attention.