Ancient town anticipates facelift through cooperation

Beginning in the second century BC, the ancient town of Zhangjiawan, today in the Tongzhou district of Beijing, developed into a prosperous port. After the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), it became a significant waterway hub on the Grand Canal to link northern and southern China.

The government for the county of Zhangjiawan and Central Academy of Fine Arts recently signed a strategic cooperation with the aim of revitalizing the ancient town. The collaboration looks for new development of Zhangjiawan by sourcing from the academy's experiences with research and talent pool of public art, design and urban planning.

The first step is an initiative of collecting images and documents of the town, especially those regarding the Grand Canal. Photos, drawings, paintings and written materials between 1840 and 1978 are welcomed for researchers to build up a visual database and to dig into the modern history of Zhangjiawan.