If you paint a mountain green is it considered green-washing, feng shui for the countryside or just another western concept lost in translation? Villagers in western China have found their neighborhood has been beautified by government workers who have been literally painting the side of a mountain with green paint. Workers have told local residents that they were just following orders but unsure as to the reason why.

The side of the mountain has been gradually removed as part of a quarry for over 20 years. So the local community has lived with raw exposed rock as part of the view for many years. Another suggestion is that soil erosion in the area from forestry activities combined with the quarry has resulted in an unstable landscape. However the local forestry department was unaware of reasons for the paint job.

Green paint can’t really pass for grass and trees. Does the mountain look better for the decorating? – You can be the judge of that in the picture from Associated Press. I tend to think that because “green” in the English language can mean a concept, an emotion or a color, the Chinese translation is more than a little rocky.