Intelligent spinning workshop belonging to Dasheng Group. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Tangzha Ancient Town in Nantong, Jiangsu province, stands as a witness of China's century-old industrial development, radiating with new vitality and vigor.

At the intelligent spinning workshop belonging to Dasheng Group in the town, rows of machines are operating orderly in high speed. Besides robots delivering yarn bobbins, only a couple of inspection personnel can be seen at the workshop.

Dasheng Group's predecessor is the Dasheng Mills, founded by Zhang Jian (1853-1926) in 1895, which pioneered spinning by machine in China.

Centering around Dasheng Mills, the upper and downstream industries prospered in Tangzha a century ago. Utilizing the outdated industrial facilities, the ancient town now has developed multiple interactive attractions, including soap making, movable-type printing, and paper making.

Tourists try making handicrafts in Tangzha Ancient Town. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In addition, the town has restored the former sites of worker dormitories and residences into the Tangzha Beishi scenic area and 1895 Cultural and Creative Industrial Park, which received over 1 million visitors per year with time-honored brands, traditional crafts, and a variety of entertainment.

Tongyang Canal runs through Tangzha Ancient Town. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As an important birthplace of national industries, Tangzha is positioned as a museum of industrial culture, noted Xi Jun from Nantong's natural resources and planning bureau.

He added that Tangzha is expected to host numerous industrial culture-themed museums showcasing the town's history, culture, and industrial characteristics.