Taierzhuang is the only remaining ancient town located on the bank of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.

The ancient town of Taierzhuang, in Zaozhuang city of Shandong province launched a tourism promotion conference in Agora Garden Taipei in Taiwan on July 12 to attract more Taiwan tourists.

Located on the bank of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, the two-square-kilometer town is the only remaining preserved, ancient town. The Zaozhuang municipal government allocated 4.8 billion yuan ($743.52 million) to restore its previous glory back from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911).

Surrounded by water, the town features classical bridges, a waterway transport system, wetland parks, temples, museums and numerous traditional architectural buildings of bygone eras.

The town is also the historical site where Taierzhuang Battle broke out, one of the important victorious campaigns in the Anti-Japanese War. The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council named Taierzhuang as its first cross-strait exchange base on the Chinese mainland in 2009.

The ancient town has welcomed more than 1.5 million tourists from home and aboard since it opened to the public as a tour site in May 2010. Tourists include many Taiwan celebrities such as Lian Chan and Wu Po-hsiung, honorary chairmen of Chinese Kuomintang (KMT).

The first edition of a photo album was launched at Taipei World Trade Center on the same day. The album showcases photos that reflect good Shandong-Taiwan relations as a way of promoting the province to more Taiwan tourists.