A bird's-eye view of the century-old collectively-owned dormitories in Tangzha ancient town, Nantong. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

A center giving visitors the chance to experience what life was like in collectively-owned dormitories a century ago opened to the public in Tangzha ancient town, Nantong on Sept 28.

The center was converted from dormitories built by Zhang Jian, a well-known local business magnate and renowned academic, for technical workers from Ningbo, Zhejiang province in 1906.

The buildings are among the oldest and best-preserved in China, and serve as a record of the changes undergone by families of workers over the generations. 

Over the past two years, the local development authority has been working to fulfill its duty to protect historical relics, while also developing the town into a unique tourist attraction.

It has given full play to the town's rich history as a birthplace of national industry in modern China, as evidenced by the new center.