A bird's-eye view of the ancient block in Baipu. [Photo provided to en.nantong.gov.cn]

Rugao, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, has done well in restoration and protection of cultural heritage, and 1,000-year-old Baipu town is one of its successful role models.

Not long ago, Baipu added another cultural attraction, the Lyu Dai Memorial Temple, which displays the legendary life of the renowned general born in Baipu during the Three Kingdoms (220-280).

The town collected Lyu's life story and historical remains related to him and invested in the ancient Chinese-style memorial temple to showcase Baipu's profound history and culture.

A lane in Baipu's ancient block. [Photo provided to en.nantong.gov.cn]

Eight kilometers from the Lyu Dai Memorial Temple lies the town's ancient block which houses intact ancient buildings and lanes paved in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Local authorities improved the block's infrastructure and repaired and updated the residential buildings so that local residents could live more comfortably.

The house of Fei Daquan, an ancient block resident, was renovated in 2021. While preserving the elegance of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) architecture, the renovated house has the comfort of a modern home.

The key to inheriting history and culture is to integrate them into the daily life of local residents and that is what Baipu has done. In 2013, it was approved as a provincial historic and cultural town and it is now applying for similar recognition on a national level.