Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province is planning to apply to be considered a famous historical and cultural city in China, according to the Rugao Municipal Party Committee, local media reported on April 18.

Rugao has a written history of 2,505 years that is documented in ancient books such as Records of the Historian and Spring and Autumn Annals.

The city is also the birthplace of China's only central red army in Jiangsu province - the 14th Red Army.

Rugao's salt industry has always played a critical role in the development of the city, and the canal built because of the industry has brought profound cultural influence and driven the development of the economy.

A sculpture of Hu Yuan, an educator educator from Rugao in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

The city is also known for its education . School education in Rugao can be traced back to the Southern Tang Dynasty (937-975).

Hu Yuan, an educator from Rugao in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), first put forward the departmental teaching system in China.