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.

Life in the old village in Zhangjiagang [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

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.