Tales of ancient villages

Tianzhuang is a well-preserved ancient village in Zhangjiagang. A key figure behind its successful preservation is Yao Minggong, a 78-year-old retired worker and keen collector of historical relics.

"I have lived in the village since my childhood," Yao said, explaining why he is so emotionally attached to it.

"The Yang family helped my widowed mother and me after my father was killed by the Japanese (in World War II)."

His father was a well-dressed tailor, and was mistaken by Japanese soldiers for a resistance force leader. "He was shot dead with several other workers in Tangqiao not far from here. He was 29 years old. I was just a 1-year-old," Yao said in tears.

Yao has collected thousands of ancient books, stone tablets, plaques and furniture related to the village. They are vital for preserving its history.

The village was founded during the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), and became bigger during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when refugees from the coastal areas were constantly harassed by gangsters from the sea. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the village prospered and had more than 1,000 families whose surnames were Yang, Qian, Sun and Jiang.

The village was like a small enclosed city with a river running through it. The river connected the village to the Yangtze River. The center of the village was a crossroad where hundreds of establishments involved in banking, logistics, pawnbroking, cloth and dyeing flourished. There were also several big private schools and dozens of Taoist and Buddhist temples funded by influential families.

The invasion and occupation of China by Japan in the late 1930s marked the decline of the village. Most of the influential families fled. However, the village survived the war. Under several lanes built of slate, there is an ancient sewer that still functions today.

The two-story structures in the village are built using gray bricks, wood and black tiles. The residences of four influential families, which consist of several yards and dozens of houses, are occupied by people who relocated to the village after World War II.

Yao is a storehouse of information when it comes to stories of the influential families. He has been in touch with hundreds of descendants of the Yang family across China.

"I have never left Tianzhuang. But I still know the outside world and history well through studying it. I enjoy it," Yao said.

Not far from Tianzhuang, in Gaozhuang village, is the city's most famous bean curd mill. The handmade bean curd is known for its natural flavor. Nearby, is Jin'gang town, which was formerly known as Leigou, and is famous for traditional Leigou cloth.

Although Gaozhuang and Jin'gang have no ancient buildings, their ancient skills have been passed down through the generations.

The bean curd mill has been operated by the Xie family since the Qing Dynasty. The family has special techniques to control the taste of the bean curd, and it carefully controls the output because there are not enough people in the family to do the hard work.

The local township government uses the bean curd when there is a feast. The dishes are all made at a nearby hot-spring resort.

"The bean curd offers me many possibilities. But the most popular dish is the oldest as well as the simplest one, bean curd stewed in broth," Jiang Daoren, head chef of the resort hotel, said.

Huang Shengliang, a textile master of Leigou cloth and general manager of Jinling Textile Co in Zhangjiagang, learned the 300-year-old skills of producing handmade cloth in Jin'gang town from his parents in the 1970s.

He is still familiar with every aspect of production from planting to dying, even though his company has advanced cloth-making machines and world-class designers now.

"The roots of Leigou cloth are in Zhangjiagang. I will not move production to other places in search of cheap labor. It is important to pass this tradition on. Innovations can be done on the old techniques and craftsmen can draw inspiration from traditional patterns in designing for today's consumers."

His company sells about $100 million worth of cloth globally every year, and invests 5 percent of its sales revenue in R&D. His customers include Levi's, Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Zara and H&M. The textile and garment industry now accounts for about 15 to 20 percent of Zhangjiagang's economy.

(China Daily European Weekly 10/22/2015 page7)