Climbing vines thrive in the courtyard of an old residential compound in Dayang ancient town, Zezhou county, North China's Shanxi province,Sept 24, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

The ancient town of Dayang, with a history of more than 2,000 years, is located at the foot of Taihang Mountain in Zezhou county of North China's Shanxi province.

The town was once known as the "needle capital of China" due to the superb craftsmanship of handmade crewel needles made there during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

The decline of the handmade needle industry greatly impacted the town's traditional trade and commerce.

The prosperity of the old days in Dayang gradually faded, but left behind large-scale examples Ming and Qing architecture that are well protected. Dayang is now called a "living fossil of an ancient Chinese town".