A bird's-eye view of Tangzha Ancient Town. [Photo provided by Xu Congjun for en.nantong.gov.cn]

Tangzha, formerly known as Tangjiazha, is renowned for its history of prosperous industries during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Tangzha Ancient Town's prosperity was in large part owed to Zhang Jian (1853-1926), a renowned industrial magnate, educator, and scholar in Nantong, who built factories, schools, parks, and roads in the town, making it one of the birthplaces of modern industry in China.

Although the ancient town is prosperous no more, the remains of its past industries, including five under State protection and two under provincial protection, are still well preserved, making the whole town a live museum.

In recent years, the ancient town has repaired its buildings and added new facilities to create more unique experiences for tourists.

The old residential buildings in Tangjiaxiang serve as a window to learning about Tangzha for tourists. An old residential building for local factory workers, for example, has been renovated into a culture experience center, while the former site of an oil factory has been reconstructed into a soap making culture center.

The 1895 Cultural and Innovative Industry Park is a must-visit spot for young people. Renovated from the former sites of multiple old factories, the industry park offers visitors a rich variety of art exhibitions.

As nighttime falls, Tangzha welcomes its most beautiful time of the day, as it uses holographic displays and 3D light projection to entertain tourists.