An ancient riverside town in east China's Zhejiang province has been recognized by UNESCO for protecting its cultural heritages. Cicheng is the only Chinese town that won the UNESCO honor this year.

Beatrice Kaldun, program specialist at the UNESCO office in Beijing, issued the honor to the government official of Cicheng. The honor bestowed on the ancient town was the "Asia-Pacific Heritage Award" for its outstanding protection of its cultural heritages.

Cicheng lies near the city of Ningbo and was originally settled around 473 BC. It's one of the best kept ancient towns south of the Yangtze River. It boasts thirty-seven city, provincial, and national-class relic sites.

Local government worked ten years to protect the town's architecture and cultural legacy. To keep as much as possible of the relic information, the renovation used authentic materials and skills. The renovated buildings feature the original flavor of the past, as well as the comforts of modern buildings.

UNESCO official Beatrice Kaldun said that Cicheng set a fine example for the protection of ancient towns in Yangtze River delta, while allowing the town to adapt to people's modern lives.

Local government reveals tourism of Cicheng is to be geared up in the near future.