Tianjin Five Great Avenues Cultural Tourism Area

Tianjin Five Great Avenues Cultural Tourism Area

Tianjin Five Great Avenues Cultural Tourism Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Five Great Avenues is not an official place name; in fact, it should be the Six Great Avenues — namely Chengdu Avenue, Chongqing Avenue, Changde Avenue, Dali Avenue, Munan Avenue, and Race Course Avenue. It later became a widely spread colloquial term.

Once part of the British Concession, the area is now graced with buildings in various architectural styles from around the world, forming its most dazzling attraction. The top recommendations are Race Course Avenue and Munan Avenue — not very wide roads, yet home to 300 small Western-style buildings, each with a story behind it, whether famous or little-known. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find even more surprises.

The most distinctive way to explore the Five Great Avenues is by taking a horse-drawn carriage; you can also opt for a rickshaw or an electric cart, both with guided tours available. However, the area is better suited for leisurely strolls or renting a bicycle. If your schedule isn’t too tight, take your time to wander and enjoy the area.

The Five Great Avenues is a general term for a district located in the southern part of Tianjin’s central urban area. Here, five east-west streets are lined up in parallel, named after five well-known southwestern Chinese cities: Chengdu, Chongqing, Changde, Dali, Munan, and Race Course, totaling 22 roads. Locals commonly refer to the whole area as the “Five Great Avenues.”

The Five Great Avenues area boasts over 2,000 garden-style houses built in the 1920s and 1930s, featuring architectural styles from England, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Among them, there are more than 300 heritage buildings and residences of notable figures, making it widely recognized as Tianjin’s unique expo of global architecture. These heritage buildings vary greatly in style — including Renaissance, Greek, Gothic, Romantic, Eclectic, and Sino-Western fusion — forming a sort of frozen art.

The Five Great Avenues area is the most concentrated district of historic residences in Tianjin. As a reflection of Tianjin’s modern history, it is rich in cultural significance and steeped in a strong sense of history. Many notable figures from modern times have left their footprints here, and every building holds its own story, vividly showcasing a century of China’s modern transformation. Over a hundred Chinese and foreign celebrities, including Presidents Cao Kun and Xu Shichang, six premiers of the Beiyang Government, U.S. President Hoover, and U.S. Secretary of State Marshall, once lived in this area.

Visiting the “Five Great Avenues” and admiring Tianjin’s “Western-style buildings” is actually a delightful journey through a corridor of architectural art. The Five Great Avenues still retains its elegant, quaint, and tranquil charm. Coming here allows you to escape the hustle and bustle of the flashy world and step into a serene museum of global architecture.

Suggested Duration

Half a day

Transportation

Take Metro Line 1 and get off at Xiaobailou Station, or take bus routes 9, 9 Interval, 9 Yanglou Interval, 831, 845, 902, 951, or Sightseeing Bus 2 (Air-conditioned) and get off at Guilin Road Station. Walk about 130 meters to reach the destination.

Ticket

Free. At the Visitor Center (intersection of Chongqing Avenue and Hebei Road), you can rent a single bicycle (no special-shaped bikes), with the first hour costing 10 RMB (includes exhibition hall visit), and each additional half-hour costing 5 RMB.

The horse-drawn carriage tour route starts from Chongqing Avenue and ends back at the starting point via Xinhua Road, taking about 30 minutes. Price: 80 RMB per person per circle for individual riders, with one guide per carriage; chartered carriage is 1200 RMB per circle.

Opening Hours

All day

Location

Near Xiaobailou Metro Station, Heping District, Tianjin

Address: No. 70, Chongqing Avenue, Heping District

Phone: 23142954