Tianjin Attractions

Tianjin has gone through many historical changes, and it's fun to explore and imagine what the city was like in bygone days. The Ancient Culture Street is of course touristy, but does feature buildings built in the ancient Tianjin style. A similar blend of history and kitsch abounds at the Antique Market, where calligraphy is sold alongside Mao memorabilia. Or take a walking or biking (if you dare) tour of British and French architecture, dating back to the city's days as a foreign concession. Not surprisingly, given Tianjin's history as an important port city, much of the most impressive architecture is around the port area. Residences built in European styles remain as well as government buildings, most notably in the Wudadao neighborhood. Another interesting piece of history is the preserved schoolhouse desk and books of Zhou Enlai, first premier of the PRC. Imagine what school was like here for Chinese students decades ago. And like many places in China, there are some incredible historical sights to be seen (if they haven't been torn down or paved over yet!). In Tianjin, most impressive are the nearby tombs of the Qing dynasty and of course the Great Wall. The section of the Great Wall near Tianjin actually contains one of the most important and impressive passes through the wall in all of China. If you're heading out of town to see the Wall or Tombs, don't miss an equally impressive natural attraction, Mount Pan. From the peak you can see the Wall, and a stupa (religious shrine) at the top is said to contain one of the Buddha's teeth. As an important Buddhist site, dozens of temples surround the mountain. There are several Buddhist sites in the city, too, such as the Monastery of Deep Compassion. As the city's most important temple, you can visit the huge Buddha statue and golden Guanyin statue - and stock up on prayer matts and miniature statues outside in the Buddhist market.

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