Tasting old world charm

The oldest buildings date back to the Ming and Qing dynasties.[Photo by Yang Feiyue/ China Daily]

Few signs of modern commerce are evident here, even though the town has been a national tourist attraction since the end of 2014.

Only a few residents sell handmade snacks, including gesso-free tofu and spicy stuffed buns, from their houses.

Li Yingcai, 64, and wearing a pink apron, was busy baking cakes with his wife and daughter-in-law.

His family has been making cakes for the past seven generations.

"Sales are good during major holidays," he says.

The cakes contains sesame, peanuts and other ingredients, he says. They are baked using hot charcoal placed on top of an iron pot cover.

A cake costs 3 yuan and the family can easily sell over 1,000 pieces on a good day.

The local government has spent 300 million yuan ($45.5 million) to restore the original look of the ancient town over the past three years.

Experts from the Shanghai-based Tongji University were invited to help with the protection of Heping.

The improvements have helped to draw even more visitors.

Approximately 3,000 tourists visit every day during the major holidays, such as the National Day holidays, says Yi Jiasheng, Party secretary of the town.

Last year, Heping received 250,000 visitors.