Ancient Culture Street

Background

Ancient Culture Street lies on the west bank of the Hai River in Nankai District, Tianjin, running from Tongbei Road in the north to Shuige Street in the south; the pedestrian street grew out of Gongnan and Gongbei Streets around Tianhou Temple. More than a hundred shops on either side are built in Qing folk architectural style, with archways, painted decoration and brick carvings full of old-world charm. At the street's heart, Tianhou Temple (Niangniang Temple), first built in 1326 and repaired many times since, now houses the Tianjin Folk Museum; Yuhuang Pavilion at the northern end dates from the Hongwu reign of the Ming dynasty. The area lies outside Tianjin's old walled city, near the confluence of three rivers on the Hai River, and in the age of grain transport by water it was crowded with silver shops and stores; Tianhou Temple honours Mazu, goddess of the sea, and was the incense centre where grain-transport boatmen prayed for safety. Around 1900 the district was looted repeatedly and declined; after renovation by the Tianjin municipal government, it reopened in 1986 as an imitation-antique shopping street. Today it gathers Tianjin time-honoured brands and folk crafts such as Zhang Clay Figurines, Yangliuqing woodblock New Year prints and Wei kites, along with shops selling antiques, old books and traditional instruments.

Local customs

• Enter from the northern archway, watch the crafts of time-honoured brands such as Zhang Clay Figurines and Yangliuqing woodblock prints, visit Tianhou Temple for its folk displays and temple architecture, then head to the Yuhuang Pavilion area for views over the Hai River. You can taste Tianjin snacks on and around the street. In the evening, when the street lights come on and the Hai River night views begin, it is a good time for photographs
• you can also combine the street with the nearby Tianjin Eye and a Hai River cruise on the same day.

Travel tips

• The street itself is free to enter
• some venues such as Tianhou Temple charge separately, so check the official rates. Allow 1 to 2 hours: the street is not long but the shops are dense, and it rewards a slow stroll. On holidays the crowds are huge, so keep valuables close. The stone-paved street is slippery, so watch your footing in rain.
• Take the metro or a bus to the old city and west bank of the Hai River area and walk from there
• check a navigation app for routes. Taxis from the city centre are also convenient. You can visit all year round: during Spring Festival the New Year market on the street is at its liveliest, a good time to experience Tianjin's New Year atmosphere
• summer evenings are cool, good for a stroll to the Hai River after shopping
• in winter there are fewer visitors and browsing the craft shops is more leisurely.