2 Days Private Tianjin Tours

In the morning, we will pick you up from Tianjin’s airport, train station, cruise port, or the hotel you booked on your own in downtown Tianjin. After some greeting, we will take you in a car to start your private Tianjin tour. Tianjin welcomes you with a charm in various aspects: a chill lifestyle, a culinary scene of its own, the eclectic architectural landscape that highlights colonial-era European buildings established when it was a treaty port.

Let’s start our journey from the Tianjin Eye, the giant Ferris wheel built over Haihe River, the lifeline of this city, with its base being a bridge. You might be interested to know that however as a romantic icon, the wheel here is associated with heartbreak in a popular local belief because it has witnessed many breakups - it’s superstitious anyway, please don’t take it seriously! Next, continue our journey to a town named Yangliuqing for Shi’s Compound, also called Yangliuqing Museum, once home to one of the wealthiest merchants during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). The compound is divided by a central axis to two architectural complex, each having five courtyards enclosed by buildings. We will explore the living quarters on the east side for delicate carvings out of wood, brick and clay as well as New Year-themed woodblock prints in local style, which all display top-notch artistry and craftsmanship, making them famous visual feasts. The west side was used for entertaining honored guests so you will visit more exquisitely built big halls and opera stages and a pond-embellished garden. The owner of this mansion has an interesting life as well. His name is Shi Yuanshi, who brought his family to their heyday and had even been honored by a contemporary emperor. Some say he treated his people well although as a landlord, but others say he was as oppressive as any other power holders. You will have your own opinion of him with your guide’s commentaries.

Since you booked this tour, you are probably a great cultural explorer and with this in mind, we can’t let you miss Tianjin Museum. With your guide’s help, you will not only appreciate top-class ancient or modern artworks like bronzeware, ceramics, calligraphy and paintings, but also learn about this city itself from such permanent exhibitions as “Origins of Tianjin’s Society and Culture” and “Tianjin: A Window Into Past 100 Years of China”. You will also encounter temporary exhibitions in varied themes, ranging from ancient Chinese culture to introductions to exotic delicate handiwork. We will round off today’s adventure with a stroll through Ancient Culture Street, the place of origin of Tianjin’s traditional culture. At first there was only the Tianhou Palace built 700 years ago to worship the goddess of sea. As numerous fishermen came to pray to her, boats loaded with merchandise gathered, trading happened and people began to settle down. Another two witnesses of local history here are a Taoist temple and a street packed with residential buildings that integrate Chinese and Western architectures. There are also a folk art museum and tea houses to visit, time-honored shops of folk handicrafts to browse, and bustling life to watch. Finally, you will be escorted back to your hotel.

Accommodation: Hampton by Hilton Tianjin Railway Station (4 stars)

► Insider Tips for Dinner (at your own expense):
Remember that Bao Zi, a kind of steamed stuffed bun, dominates Tianjin’s culinary landscape, so a tour to Tianjin without trying it is far from complete! After today’s trip, you can let your guide leave you at the diner Xi Men Li Er Gu Bao Zi (Dongheyan Street branch), translated as Second Auntie’s Bao Zi Inside West Gate, to taste it. Ask your guide or a random local and they will say they have been familiar with it since childhood. The branch is within walking distance from the Ancient Culture Street. The Auntie’s shop offers traditional steamed buns with various fillings made of vegetable or meat. The skin is thin and soft, and you can even see through it to imagine the juicy richness inside. It’s rare but it indeed happens you might bump into their day off, so if you are interested, your guide can help you ask whether they are during business time. The cost on average is CNY 23 / USD 3 per person. It’s about 15 minute’s taxi ride away from your hotel.

Let’s impress your morning first with a marvel at the Porcelain House. Once a French villa, it later became an experimental subject of an antique collector, who purchased it and had spent six years to turn it into a visually striking artwork covered with porcelain all over. What’s to amaze you more, the whole or scraps of porcelain embedded into the walls, roofs, and columns are from different dynasties, and over hundreds of millions of pieces were used! Go on to visit Five Great Avenues to witness the colonial-era architectural heritage complex. This region was once one of the British concessions in China. Like the Bund in Shanghai, it recorded a slice of modern history and gives you a glimpse of what Tianjin was like at the beginning of the 19th century. You will move past countless buildings in Gothic, Baroque, Byzantine and electric styles and hear intriguing histories from your guide to enjoy a journey back in time. At last, visit Jingyuan Garden, the Garden of Serenity. Originally owned by a high-ranking government officer, it later became the abode in 1929 for Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, and his two wives after he was exiled from the capital Beijing. First called Qianyuan, its name was changed by Puyi said to indicate that this was the place to waiting in serenity to see how the wind blows while plotting to rebuild his Qing Empire. He lived here for two years. Here, you will see what a typical private courtyard mansion of the colonial era looks like. We will stroll across a spacious green garden to reach the two-story house, which is elegant in a mix of Spanish and Japanese styles. Inside, we will relive the life scene of Puyi. Time seems to be warped here - trees and bushes in the yard are well pruned and the retro furniture inside is well arranged and dusted off, looking as if Puyi is going to show up next minute. This is also where the shocking anecdote the “Revolution of Concubine” happened - one of Puyi’s two wives, disapproving his political attitude, had initiated a divorce from him, and this was the first concubine ever done this in China’s imperial history.

Your Tianjin tour now reaches its end. We will transfer you back to your hotel or a place you designate in downtown Tianjin, or Tianjin airport, train station, or cruise port, for you to embark on your own onward journey. Bon voyage! If you want to extend this trip to see more of Tianjin and beyond, please let us know. Maybe go on an expedition to Huangyaguan Great Wall, a famous segment of the Great Wall to the north, or simply stay longer for a guided exploration of the capital of China, Beijing.

Meals: Breakfast