China's major network journalists visited Songji Ancient Town in Yongchuan district, Chongqing on Sept 9, the fourth day of the 2018 China Key Network Journalists event.

The town, situated along the Yangtze River, was a bustling center of commerce during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1636-1912) dynasties due to its many wharves, but it slowly fell into decay with the development of railways and highways. However, many of the old buildings still remain.

An elderly local awaits his ultimate fate in Songji Ancient Town, Chongqing. [Photo by Ding Yu/chinadaily. com.cn]

The town's old streets are lined with quadrangle courtyards, wooden diaojiaolou (or suspended houses over the water, Yamen (government office in feudal China) and there is even an ancestral temple.

An old alley in Songji Ancient Town, Chongqing. [Photo by Ding Yu/chinadaily. com.cn]

"The ancestral temple was originally a place to worship ancestors. Now, it will be home to a series of cultural activities relating to filial piety which will teach people about the area's traditional culture," said Luo Jiangyou, deputy chief of Luojia Ancestral Temple.

A century-old steelyard store can be found in the town as well. The owner, Xiong Dexing, is among the fourth generation of locals to run the yard and is one of the last people in Chongqing who still crafts steel products by hand.

Xiong Dexing has been making steel products for 40 years. The craft was listed as a Chongqing Intangible Cultural Heritage item in 2009.

Xiong Dexing weighs a mobile phone with his handmade steel scale. [Photo by Ding Yu/chinadaily. com.cn]

At the 21st Trade Forum for Cooperation between East and West China, CRCC Chongqing Investment Group signed a cooperation agreement with Songji Ancient Town to promote local development in accordance with the PPP model, a model which focuses on repairing ancient towns, parking lots, landscapes, sewage and garbage disposal, among other things.