Tianjin Travel Guide
Five Avenues · Italian Style Area · Ancient Culture Street · Crosstalk
Tianjin is half an hour by high-speed train from Beijing, yet it has a completely different city character: the foreign-style buildings on the Five Great Avenues, Marco Polo Square in the Italian Style Area, the clay figurines by Zhang and the Yangliuqing New Year paintings on Ancient Culture Street, and the crosstalk in the teahouses. Two to three days are just right.
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Destination Details
The value of Tianjin lies in its "proximity" and "slowness": it's only half an hour from Beijing South Station, yet the pace is completely different. Originally a grain transport port, after 1860 the concessions of nine foreign countries lined the Haihe River, leaving the highest density of exotic architecture in China. For overseas Chinese, Tianjin also offers an extra entry point—cross talks and Jianbing Guozi, the most down-to-earth northern street culture.
Key Highlights
Five Avenues
Over 2,000 small Western-style houses left from the former British concession; along Machangdao and Munandao streets is the most vibrant section of Tianjin's everyday life.
Italian Style Town
The only Italian-style architectural cluster in Asia; the restaurants and bars around Marco Polo Square are the liveliest at night.
Ancient Culture Street
A Qing-style folk commercial street; Clay Figurine Zhang, Yangliuqing New Year Pictures, and Wei kites can all be found on this street.
Tianjin Eye
The cross-river Ferris wheel on Yongle Bridge, 110 meters in diameter, offers a nighttime view of both sides of the Haihe River.
Binhai New Area Library
The "Mountain of Books" staircase in the atrium is its architectural landmark and has become a new icon of Tianjin.
Suggested Duration and Route
- Recommended stay: 2–3 days.
- Combining with other nearby destinations makes the route more efficient; please refer to the "Extended Routes" and "Province" below.
Local Tips
- The Beijing–Tianjin high-speed rail takes as little as 33 minutes and can serve as a two-day extension of a Beijing trip, no need to fly separately.
- The prices at the main branch of Gou Bu Li are relatively high; locals often go to Lao Chengqu’s Zhang Ji or Er Saozi Jianbing instead.
- Cross talk venues are around Nanshi and Ancient Culture Street, tickets need to be booked one day in advance.
Province Affiliation
This entry belongs to Tianjin (2 ready-made routes), and you can compare all the routes of this province on the province page.
