Tianjin Heping Road Golden Street

Tianjin Heping Road Golden Street

In September 2000, the renovated Heping Commercial Street was connected with Binjiang Road to form a “Golden Cross,” officially named “Golden Street.” The “gold” in Golden refers to both wealth and the homophone of “Jin,” which is part of Tianjin’s name, symbolizing good fortune.

The predecessor of Golden Street was Heping Road, situated on the west bank of the Haihe River. It runs 2,138 meters from south to north, starting from Bohai Building and ending at Southeast Corner. It begins at the junction of South Road and East Road in the north, extends southeast to connect Yingkou Road with Jianshe Road, and intersects with 17 other roads including Rongji Street, Duolun Road, Anshan Road, Jinzhou Road, Changchun Road, Binjiang Road, and Chifeng Road. The section where it crosses Binjiang Road forms Tianjin’s most bustling commercial district. Most buildings along Golden Street feature European architectural styles. Notable structures such as Quanye Plaza, Hui Zhong Hotel, Jiaotong Hotel, and Guomin Hotel have a history of nearly 100 years. After renovation in 2003, Western-style street lamps, pavements, and benches were restored.

Heping Road Commercial Street was first built in 1905. At that time, the area north of Jinzhou Road belonged to the Japanese Concession and was called Xu Street, while the area south belonged to the French Concession and was named Rue du Consul. By the late 1920s, with the completion of major establishments such as Tianxiang, Quanye, and Taikang department stores, as well as Guomin, Hui Zhong, and Jiaotong hotels, plus landmarks like Bohai Building and Zhejiang Industrial Bank, the street grew increasingly prosperous. In 1946, the commercial street was collectively named Roosevelt Road, and in 1953, it was renamed “Heping Road,” meaning “Peace Road,” to reflect the desire for peace.

Heping Road is the longest commercial pedestrian street in China. Aside from the vast array of shops, the ornate signs above each store offer a directory of Tianjin’s finest businesses. In 2005, Heping Road in Tianjin was selected as one of the “Top Ten Famous Commercial Streets in China” in the “China Famous (Characteristic) Commercial Streets Evaluation.”