As rainfall abates, flooding in Shexian county in East China's Anhui province is receding, bringing order back to the streets.

The county was severely hit by flooding, the heaviest in over 50 years, resulting in the delay of the first two exams for the national college entrance examination, or gaokao, on Tuesday.

A visit to the county town on Wednesday afternoon found that sanitation workers and local residents had started to clear the mud and garbage left by the flooding.

Shops on higher ground are still open to customers, though there were not many.