China's 'Snake Village' seeks New Year riches

ZISIQIAO, China (AFP) - For Zisiqiao in eastern China, the arrival of the Year of the Snake on Sunday carries a special meaning, as the scaly reptile has given the tiny village its main industry and prosperity.

In the 1980s, villagers began raising snakes for food and traditional Chinese medicine, transforming the village in Zhejiang province near Shanghai.

Scores of households now raise serpents, earning the settlement of more than 800 people the nickname "Snake Village" in Chinese media.

They include Mr Gao Shuihua, 50, who began breeding snakes three decades ago instead of the traditional farming and raising fish.