Yang Zheng looks ambitious as he talks about the future of Chonggu Town - the "oriental pyramid" as he calls it.
Located in Qingpu District, the small town covers an area of 27.7 square kilometers, but has a tiny population of 20,000.
Nonetheless it is said to be the cradle of the city's civilization.
"The historical relics unearthed from the town's Fuquanshan Hill reveal that as early as 6,000 to 7,000 years ago, people had already moved to the area," Yang said.
"As the symbol of Chonggu Town, the hill was artificially piled up by ancient people to bury aristocrats."
The hill, where the earliest graveyard of ancient aristocrats in China was found, is about 7.5 meters high. It is 94 meters long from east to west and 84 meters wide from north to south.
From 1982 to 1987, archaeologists made three excavations at the site.
A residential site was found with 19 tombs of people from the Songze Culture and 30 tombs of people from the Liangzhu Culture.
Both of the two cultures trace back to the Neolithic Age (6000-1600 BC).
Yang said that the most exciting discovery was that the soil from the hill is divided into five layers of different colors, each representing a different period of time.
The soil covers three layers of stratum in gray yellow, dark brown and yellow - all indications of the Liangzhu Culture. Two layers are clear signs of Songze Culture -the dark gray and blue gray soil.
In the nearby area, stratums of the Maqiao Culture and the Majiabang Culture, two other well-known cultures of the Neolithic Age, were also found.
Tombs from the Warring States Period (476-221 BC) to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) were also excavated.
"All these discoveries have rewritten the history of Shanghai," Yang said. "In a word, the site provides us with a chronology of ancient cultures in the southern part of the country, especially around the Taihu Lake region."
However, the treasures passed down from long ago are still unknown to many people.
"I feel an urgency to make more people know about Fuquanshan and Chonggu as well," said the newly appointed Party secretary of the town.
Although the town mainly relies on industrial products as the economic backbone, its future plan is to build itself into another tourism attraction.
Like its neighboring water town Zhujiajiao, Chonggu also features many structures with architecture styles from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
Stone bridges built at that time are still standing above rivers.
Besides old streets, ancient walls, temples and nunneries can also be found in this peaceful township.
"We are not going to build another water town in Ming and Qing dynasties' style, which can be found in many provinces south of the Yangtze River," he added.
"We don't want to waste our unique resources. Instead, we will build for the world an 'oriental pyramid,' a place decorated by history and imagination."
Jade art works unearthed from the area that date back thousands of years are of high quality - both in texture and carving techniques.
Fine pieces include jade crowns, axes, tubes, pendants, rings, beads and spinning wheels.
Also discovered were stone wares, including axes, chisels and pottery, all brightly polished or colorfully painted. They were supposed to be used as ritual objects by ancient people.
Yang said a special museum will be built to house the artifacts.
Also being planning is a residential "village" for artists from around the country to settle down. According to Yang, it will be a place to connect the ancient world with modern society.
Some former residents of famous Chonggu natives - including Ren Renfa, a painter of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) -  will be renovated.
"We also hope that more and more Chonggu natives who live abroad will come back to have a look at their hometown and join in the development with us," Yang said.
Two large residential areas are also under construction.
"Although we only have a rough plan in mind, we all believe that the town has a bright future," Yang said.