Tianjin天津

Overview

Tianjin, one of China's four municipalities, has over 600 years of city history. As one of the earliest treaty ports, Wudadao preserves over a thousand Western-style buildings, hailed as an 'Exhibition of World Architecture.' Ancient Culture Street showcases Tianjin folklore, and Italian Style Town recreates Marco Polo's hometown. Tianjin is a birthplace of cross-talk comedy with teahouse laughter. Goubuli buns, jianbing guozi, and mahua are famous Tianjin delicacies. Haihe River's night views are stunning, and the Tianjin Eye Ferris wheel is an iconic landmark.

Key Facts

Top Attractions

Wudadao (Five Great Avenues)

Historic district with British, French, German and Italian style buildings, over a thousand villas, strolling feels like Europe

Ancient Culture Street

Historic Tianjin cultural street in Qing dynasty style, lined with Clay Figure Zhang and Yangliuqing New Year Painting shops, full of local flavor

Tianjin Eye

World's only bridge-mounted Ferris wheel, 110m diameter, 30-minute rotation, overlooking Haihe River's dazzling night views

Italian Style Town

Former Italian concession, well-preserved Mediterranean-style buildings, cafes and restaurants with exotic romantic atmosphere

Panshan Mountain

Top mountain east of Beijing, Emperor Qianlong sighed 'If I knew Panshan, why visit Jiangnan?', pines, rocks, springs and temples in harmony

Porcelain House

French-style villa decorated with tens of thousands of antique porcelain pieces, a mad masterpiece of ceramic art, visually stunning

Food & Snacks

Goubuli Baozi (Steamed Stuffed Buns)

Tianjin's most iconic traditional delicacy, thin skin with big filling and 18 folds, pork filling savory and juicy, century-old brand

Jianbing Guozi (Savory Crepe)

King of Tianjin breakfast, mung bean crepe wrapped around youtiao, brushed with sauce and chili, crispy outside soft inside

Shibajie Mahua (Fried Dough Twist)

One of Tianjin's Three Delicacies, osmanthus and rock sugar filling, crispy and sweet, beautiful layers, most popular Tianjin souvenir

Erduoyan Zhagao (Fried Rice Cake)

One of Tianjin's Three Delicacies, red bean paste in glutinous rice flour fried golden, crispy outside and sticky inside, century-old classic

Festivals & Events

World & Intangible Heritage

• Great Wall (Huangyaguan Section) (1987) — Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Huangyaguan Great Wall is located in Jizhou District, originally built in Northern Qi dynasty and rebuilt in Ming dynasty, known for its steep terrain. It is an important pass of the Great Wall, and sunset at Huangya is one of the Ten Scenic Spots of Tianjin.
• The Grand Canal (Tianjin Section) (2014) — Inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. The Tianjin section of the Grand Canal includes the South Canal and North Canal, an important component of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, witnessing Tianjin's urban development history rising from the canal.
• Yangliuqing Woodblock New Year Painting (2006) — One of China's four great woodblock New Year paintings, known for half-printed half-painted technique, vivid colors and fine lines, auspicious themes
• Clay Figure Zhang Color Sculpture (2006) — Tianjin folk art treasure, founder Zhang Mingshan sculpted lifelike figures with fingertips, elegant colors and vivid spirit
• Cross-talk (Xiangsheng) (2008) — Tianjin is a key birthplace and传承 center of cross-talk, teahouse cross-talk is the essence of Tianjin culture, witty and hilarious

Practical Tips