Hai'an Museum is established in the former residence of Han Guojun. It is a well-preserved and typical Qing-dynasty-styled structure, built in 1906. [Photo/ntjoy.com]

Nantong – a prefecture-level city in East China's Jiangsu province – is to get a boost to its tourism sector, according to local officials.

The said the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism recently released the list of the places and facilities that are up to standard to be upgraded as national 4A-level tourist attractions in 2021, after recommendations and an expert review.

Two of them are from Nantong: the Bihai Yinsha Scenic Area in Qidong and the Hai'an Museum in the county-level city of Hai'an.

Hai'an Museum was established in the former residence of Han Guojun, governor of Jiangsu province for two terms. Built in 1906, the 8,500-square-meter structure is a well-preserved and typical building complex in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) style.

All the main rooms have seven purlins – horizontal roof frame structures – and five bays, with a complete set of halls, bungalows, corridors and chambers, built along one central axis.

In 2013, it was included among the seventh group of major historical and cultural sites protected at the national level by the State Council, China's Cabinet, with it also being recognized as a national 3A-level tourist attraction.