Tianjin Mazu Cultural Festival

Background

Mazu worship came to Tianjin from the south with grain shipping along the waterways. The Tianhou Palace on Ancient Culture Street was first built in 1326 during the Yuan dynasty, nearly 700 years ago; it has been restored many times and now serves as a folk museum. The China Tianjin Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival is centred on the Binhai Tourism Area. At the sixth festival, held on September 27 to 28, 2012, a 42.3-metre Mazu statue was inaugurated, and the programme included worship ceremonies and cultural performances. Every year around Mazu's birthday on the 23rd day of the third lunar month, the Tianhou Palace in the middle of Ancient Culture Street hosts a folk performance fair, historically called the Huanghui or imperial fair, with dragon lanterns, lion dances, stilt walking, dharma drums, dry boats, yangge, Peking opera, pingju, and bangzi. The street also has folk shops such as Yangliuqing New Year prints and Clay Figure Zhang.

Local customs

• Visit the Binhai Mazu Culture Park and its 42.3-metre Mazu statue
• watch worship ceremonies and cultural performances
• see the Mazu birthday folk performance fair on Ancient Culture Street
• browse folk shops such as Yangliuqing New Year prints and Clay Figure Zhang

Travel tips

• The Tianjin Mazu Cultural Tourism Festival has no fixed date
• whether and when it will be held in 2027 is subject to official announcement. The Mazu birthday folk events at the Tianhou Palace on Ancient Culture Street take place every year around the 23rd day of the third lunar month. The Binhai Mazu Culture Park is in Binhai New Area, far from the city centre, so take a taxi or drive
• the Tianhou Palace is on Ancient Culture Street in Nankai District near the city centre and can be reached by metro or bus. Ticket prices are subject to official announcement.

2027 schedule

• The 2027 dates of the cultural tourism festival are pending official announcement
• the Mazu birthday folk events at the Tianhou Palace on Ancient Culture Street follow the 23rd day of the third lunar month, around April 29, subject to local announcement.