Ancient Towns in Tianjin

?

Ancient Towns in Tianjin

Beitang Ancient Town: Closely nestled in the Bohai Gulf， Beitang， originally an important town for coast defense， has witnessed the rise and decline of both the Ming and Qing dynasties during its history of more than 600 years. Beitang’s two fort barbettes， respectively positioned in its east and west， were the last military installations before Tianjin was lost to the Eight-Power Allied Forces in 1900. Now， after maintenance and renovation in its bid to retain the original ancient style， Beitang has become a modern tourist destination due to its cultural， business and historical attractions.

Transportation: First take Tianjin Metro Line 9 and get off at Donghai Road Station，then transfer to one of multiple bus lines which go directly to Beitang.

（ Compiled by China Today ）

Gegu Town: 20 km west of Tianjin’s downtown， Gegu was once a famous land and water port and center for collecting and distributing goods. Owing to its thriving business of transporting feudal official grains， most people there lived on shipping. To pray for safety，local people formed a tradition of worshipping the Goddess Matsu who is the water deity. Documents show that there were once 18 temples in the town， among which the Temple of the Goddess and the Temple of the Water Deity received the most pilgrims. Various temple festivities to celebrate these deities consequently evolved. That most famous is Baonianhui， a festival worshipping the Goddess Matsu.

Transportation: Take Subway Line 1 and get off at Chentangzhuang Station， then transfer to bus line 165.

Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street: Located on the west bank of the Haihe River in Nankai District， the 687 m-long ancient cultural street that was built with the Temple of the Queen of Heaven （Tianhou Palace） as its geographical center， and lined with hundreds of Qing folk-style small stores. Built in 1326， Tianhou Palace holds a grand anniversary celebration on the 23rd day of the third lunar month. It features folk art performances，including dragon， lantern， and lion dances， and stilt walking. Before stepping into a store，you might admire a vivid classical Suzhou-style colorful painting below its eaves， which adds another charming touch to the cultural street.

Transportations: Take bus line 52 or 856.