Students from Tangzha Primary School learn about the development and history of Tangzha town on May 23 – Tangzha industry culture experience day. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

An experience activity was recently held on the industrial culture of Tangzha town – located in the Chongchuan district of Nantong city in East China's Jiangsu province – which is widely regarded as one of the birthplaces of national industry in modern China.

The event took place at the town's Zhang Jian family education hall, located by the Nantong-Yangzhou Canal, on May 23.

Nearly 100 people, including students from Tangzha Primary School and Tangzha Middle School and retirees and excellent workers from Dasheng Yarn Factory, participated in the research-study-tourism activity.

A Tangzha industry culture experience day was launched on May 23 to showcase the rapid development of the town's industry in the past and the impressive results of modern urban construction at present.

Some 126 years ago, Zhang Jian, a local industrial magnate and scholar, decided to set up a yarn factory in Tangzha town after many investigations, which started production in 1899.

Soon afterwards, Zhang founded a series of support factories and businesses in town – such as an ironworks, an oil-pressing mill and a rice mill – which made Tangzha famous nationwide for its industry, commerce and trade and culture.

With the protection, utilization and development of Tangzha ancient town and the improvement and restoration of its industrial artifacts there, more and more interested netizens, tourists and photography enthusiasts are being drawn to visit Tangzha.