Tianjin Old City Museum

Tianjin Old City Museum

The Tianjin Old City Museum is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

The Tianjin Old City Museum is a self-funded institution organized by the Nankai District Culture and Tourism Bureau of Tianjin. It is located in the traditional residential compound known as the Xu Family Courtyard, originally the home of Xu Pu’an, a comprador for the British-chartered Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China in Tianjin. Built during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, it is the only well-preserved classic traditional three-courtyard siheyuan (quadrangle courtyard) residence in downtown Tianjin. The museum was officially planned in 2000 and opened to the public on December 23, 2004, the 600th anniversary of Tianjin’s establishment as a walled city, in commemoration of that milestone. The over 3,600 cultural relics preserved in the Old City Museum recreate 600 years of Tianjin’s urban development.

Tianjin Old City Museum

The Tianjin Old City Museum is located in the traditional residential compound known as the Xu Family Courtyard, originally the home of Xu Pu’an, a comprador for the British-chartered Chartered Bank of India, Australia and China in Tianjin. It was built during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period. The building follows traditional Chinese architectural minor-style construction methods, using gray bricks and a flush gable roof. The entire structure faces south with the main gate situated in the southeast corner, following the principles of “Qian house, Xun gate.” The central axis consists of three courtyards, flanked on both the east and west sides by arrow corridors. Its architectural carvings and decorations are elegant and exquisite. It is the only well-preserved classic traditional three-courtyard siheyuan residence in downtown Tianjin, currently covering an area of 1,381 square meters with a built-up area of 711 square meters.

Architectural Background

In the second year of the Yongle reign during the Ming Dynasty (1404), the city was fortified and a military garrison, known as “Tianjin Wei,” was established. After the city walls and garrison were built, wealthy merchants and traders gradually settled in the old town, rapidly transforming Tianjin into an economic hub of northern China. Due to the concentration of officials and wealthy merchants, the old town became bustling with gold shops, jewelry stores, antique and jade workshops, academies, ink and brush shops, and restaurants. To the north of the Drum Tower, “Tongxingyuan” and to the east, “Juxingyuan,” as well as “Shuangliyuan” and “Deqingyuan” inside the East Gate, all offered diverse cuisines and were always crowded with patrons. Inside the North Gate, gold shops such as Sanyang, Zhengyang, and Tianxiang shone brilliantly. To the north of the Drum Tower, the Jingshengyuan Theater hosted daily performances with wind instruments, pipa, and storytelling.

At the time when large-scale urban redevelopment began in the old town, Mr. Feng Jicai and several experts and scholars conducted multiple on-site investigations of cultural relics in the area. They proposed turning the Xu Family Courtyard into China’s first donation-based museum—the Tianjin Old City Museum. The Nankai District Party Committee and District Government offered strong support for the project. Official planning began in 2000, and the museum opened on December 23, 2004, the 600th anniversary of Tianjin’s establishment as a walled city.

Architectural Features

The compound adopts traditional Chinese minor-style construction techniques, using gray bricks and a flush gable roof. The entire structure faces south with the main gate located in the southeast corner, following the principles of “Qian house, Xun gate.” The central axis consists of three courtyards, flanked on both the east and west sides by arrow corridors. Its architectural carvings and decorations are elegant and exquisite. It is the only well-preserved classic traditional three-courtyard siheyuan residence in downtown Tianjin, currently covering an area of 1,381 square meters with a built-up area of 711 square meters. The west wing room of the third courtyard has been restored to replicate the living quarters of residents from old Tianjin, with a space of just over 20 square meters divided into three small rooms to recreate the living environment of people in the old city.

Various cultural relics donated by the public are exhibited in the first courtyard and side rooms of the second and third courtyards. These include a “government steelyard” used for weighing grain at Tianjin’s grain transport dock in the second year of the Tongzhi reign (1863), a redwood “lamp box,” a boundary marker from the Jiangsu Guild Hall, a “refrigerator” from the Republican era, as well as thread-bound books documenting Tianjin’s folk customs, vintage records, wooden grain measures from the Qing Dynasty, painting boards for Yangliuqing New Year paintings, wooden kettle covers, wooden shop signs, stoves, and a century-old copper bed, among others, including a grandfather clock, hand-cranked record player, and radio.

Significance

The museum embodies the love for their hometown by numerous experts, scholars, officials at all levels in the city and district, and the people of Tianjin. It bears witness to 600 years of the city’s trials and triumphs. It preserves the rich historical and cultural heritage of Tianjin Wei. It has created and developed the city’s civilization and progress, leaving behind invaluable historical and cultural treasures. It serves as a bond for people to cherish the past and connect with family roots. It is an important base for patriotic education and local cultural education. It also acts as a significant window and bridge for Tianjin, a historic and cultural city, to present itself to the world and embrace the future.

Transportation Information

Address: No. 202, Gulou East Street, Nankai District, Tianjin

Address: No. 202, Gulou East Street, Nankai

Tel: 27283899-81