North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, wrapping up a four-day visit to China, has toured a model village on the outskirts of Beijing on his way back to Pyonyang.

Seoul-based Yonhap news agency said Kim arrived at the "Hancunhe" village some 50 kilometers southwest of Beijing on Wednesday morning and was welcomed by local residents.

The Chinese government had designated the site as a model village in 1993 after it transformed itself from a poor community to one of the richest villages in the country.

Yonhap said Kim toured the village for an hour and a half, and showed a deep interest in the town's modern farm facilities and money-making projects.

Prior to Kim's arrival, Chinese police hauled away 10 foreign journalists, including a KBS camera crew, and detained them for 90 minutes, apparently for security reasons.

After the visit, Kim is presumed to have boarded a train back to North Korea at a nearby station.