Tianjin Tour Strategy: “Picking” Culture at Ancient Cultural Street

There are nearly one hundred stores on the Ancient Cultural Street mainly operating stationery commodities. They insist the management-characteristics of “Chinese, Tianjinese, Cultural and Ancient”. Now, let’s go to the street to “pick” some ancient culture there!

The street is spread around Tianhou Temple. The board inscribed with Chinese characters of “Native Place of Tianjin” is hanging on the archway of south gate. Here is a human settlement area 800 years ago. The street is not long but a forest of all kinds of stores operating traditional antique and handcrafts, etc. Every store is a cultural point.

Handcrafts Culture: wonderful painted sculptures of Clay Figure Zhang

　　(Source Tianjin Tour)

As a folk culture of Tianjin, painted sculptures of Clay Figure Zhang is one of the famous traditional handcrafts of Han nationality. With elegant and bright colors and particular materials, all the clay figures are made vividly and can be well reserved for long time without any cracks.

Handcrafts Culture: Interesting Yangliuqing New Years Painting

Yangliuqing New Years Painting is the outstanding representative of numerous cultures of Tianjin. With fine and smooth technique of drawing, the figures on the painting are always pretty and harmonious. By multiple techniques of moral and realism, etc, we can see from the paintings superiour feelings and wishes of the people.

Handcrafts Culture: delicate kites of Wei Brand

Every delicate “Wei Brand” kite is made by particular materials that the kite facet is mainly made by silk and the skeleton is made by Fujian moso bamboo with larger elasticity and exquisite character.

Food Culture: crisp Mahua (fried dough twist)

(Source Tianjin Tour)

Tianjin Mahua is very different from Mahua in other places because there is the crisp filling in it made by all kinds of condiments like fragrans, crystallized ginger, peach kernel and sweetened melon strips, etc. Thus the fried Tianjin Mahua is crisp, sweet and unique which can also be well reserved for months at dry and ventilated place without being tasteless, soft or bad. These are all characteristics of Tianjin Mahua and also the exclusive Mahua Culture of Tianjin.

Food Culture: fragrant and glutinous Cha Tang

(Source Tianjin Tour)

Although called as “Cha Tang” (tea soup in Chinese characters), it is not the traditional tea you thought but a similar almond tea. The preparing powder is not lotus root starch but made by coarse cereals. A stream of boiling water is flung into the bowl from spout, then the Cha Tang is done after stiring evenly.

Architectural Culture: classical eaves

(Source Tianjin Tour)

Scrutinizing the eaves of buildings on Ancient Cultural Street, you will find the fine colored drawing on them to tell those famous stories of A Dream in Red Mansions, Zhao Jun Going Abroad, Lady Yang, Butterfly Lovers and Taiwan's Recapture by Zheng Chenggong, etc.

Architectural Culture: spectacular buildings with fusion style of Chinese and Western

　　(Source Tianjin Tour)

The largest scale of architectural complex of Tianjin with fusion style of Chinese and Western is located in Tongqing Li at east side of Ancient Cultural Street. Built in 1913, the complex used to be an old-style Chinese private bank opened by Bian Family from Grain Shop Street of Hebei, then it was turned to be resident's housing.