Combined photo taken on Dec. 17, 2012 shows the well-kept dwellings in the Ming Taiyuan County of Jinyuan Town in Taiyuan City, north China's Shanxi Province.(Xinhua/Zhan Yan)

Built in 1375, the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the county was also called "Phoenix Town" because its external form looks like a flying bird. As most of the temples and residential houses in the county have been kept well after over 600 years, Ming Taiyuan County was listed as one of the National Historical and Cultural Sites in 2011. The local government initiated a renovation project of the county with an investment of 380 million yuan (60.9 million U.S.dollars) for better protection in 2012.