Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, ranked 54th among China's top 100 counties in terms of comprehensive competitiveness in tourism, according to a report recently issued by a third-party think tank in Beijing.

A total of 1,881 counties on the Chinese mainland were evaluated based on 35 indicators in six categories – the strength of the tourism economy, the local government's competence, tourism's role as an industrial driver, environmental protection efforts, infrastructure and services, as well as market regulations.

Rugao boasts a history of more than 1,600 years and is widely known as a "city of longevity". Let's have a look at some of its most popular tourist attractions.

Shuihui Garden is one of the most famous places in Rugao and dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It covers an area of about 270,000 square meters and features ancient Jiangbei (region north of the Yangtze River) architecture. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

If you walk exit Shuihui Garden through the back door, you will arrive at Dong Da Jie, or East Street, which was built in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1276). It extends 400 meters and is paved with slates. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]