Tianjin Theatre Museum

Tianjin Theatre Museum

The Tianjin Theatre Museum is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a patriotic education base.

Now converted into the Tianjin Theatre Museum, it is located in the heart of Tianjin’s old town, on Nanmenli Street in Nankai District. The site was officially completed in the first month of the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty (1907), initiated by Tang Shaoyi, then the Customs Commissioner of Tianjin. It served as a lodging and mutual aid institution established by the Cantonese community in Tianjin.

The Guangdong Guild Hall, located south of the Drum Tower in Tianjin’s old city, is the most completely preserved and largest-scale Qing Dynasty guild hall building in Tianjin to date.

It embodies the architectural style of China’s Lingnan region and also reflects the hardships of the Cantonese people who settled in Tianjin. About 300 years ago, Cantonese merchants formed shipping fleets with those from Fujian and Chaozhou to trade in Tianjin. Their ships had red-painted prows adorned with large-eyed chicken motifs, earning them the nickname “big-eye chicken boats.” Each spring, when the monsoon winds blew, they would set sail fully loaded, traveling northward along the coast and entering Tianjin via the Hai River. Over time, these merchants divided into three major groups: the Fujian faction, the Chaozhou faction, and the Guangdong faction. To facilitate business and gatherings, they pooled funds to build the “Fujian-Guangdong Guild Hall,” managed in rotation by the three factions. In the late Daoguang era, during the Guangdong faction’s turn to manage the guild hall, a dispute arose when a handling officer embezzled public funds. The Fujian and Chaozhou factions refused to let the Guangdong faction manage the guild hall that year and barred them from inspecting the accounts, leaving the Guangdong faction marginalized within the Fujian-Guangdong Guild Hall. In the late Guangxu era, Tang Shaoyi, a Cantonese and the Customs Commissioner of Tianjin, proposed raising funds to rebuild a guild hall for the Guangdong community to strengthen their presence. He personally donated 4,000 taels of silver. This initiative received enthusiastic support from Guangdong merchants, and in a short time, over 90,000 taels were raised. They purchased land at the former site of the Salt Transport Commissioner’s Office on Gulou South Street in Tianjin city to construct the new guild hall. On January 14, 1907 (the 33rd year of the Guangxu reign, 1907), the new guild hall was completed and named the Guangdong Guild Hall.

- Interior Sights

The guild hall resembles a large traditional courtyard house. Most of the bricks, tiles, and timber were imported from Guangdong. Its grand entrance gate features soaring Luohan gables, and all halls are equipped with covered verandas. The interior is exquisitely decorated, showcasing distinct Lingnan characteristics. Around the guild hall, over 300 rooms were built for shops and residences, and to the southeast of the guild hall, the Guangdong Guild Hall

“Nanyuan” (South Garden) was constructed. It included planted flowers and trees, a medical dispensary, and spaces for Cantonese compatriots to rest and recover. In its heyday, Nanyuan featured peach blossom groves and grapevines, offering exceptionally beautiful scenery. The theater building is the main structure of the Tianjin Guangdong Guild Hall. It fronts a spacious courtyard adorned with a large plaque inscribed with the words “Ling Bo Ning He” (Harmony of the Mountains and Seas). Passing through an alleyway, you’ll find a wooden indoor theater that could accommodate 700–800 people. The upper level features private boxes, while the lower level has open seating. The stage is 10 meters deep and 11 meters wide. Its ceiling is a spiral caisson crafted from intricately joined fine wood components, featuring exquisite carvings and excellent acoustics. The front beam of the stage is carved with a pierced design of a lion rolling a ball. The two corners hold hanging floral pillars shaped like budding lotuses. The stage front is inlaid with a large wooden carving of “Heavenly Official Bestowing Blessings,” depicting a lively and harmonious scene with heavenly officials, children, monkeys, pine trees, clouds, and bats in the four corners. The stage doors and windows are also carved with traditional patterns such as lions, phoenixes, and peonies. On this rare theater stage in the north, revolutionary plays were performed as early as 1911. On August 24, 1912, Dr. Sun Yat-sen was invited by the Northern Branch of the Tongmenghui to give a speech here. During the May Fourth Movement, the venue frequently hosted mass gatherings or performances, with renowned performing artists such as Mei Lanfang and Yang Xiaolou taking the stage. In 1925, An Xingsheng, a communist, established the Tianjin Federation of Trade Unions here, using the Guangdong Guild Hall as its headquarters. During the Japanese occupation of Tianjin, the guild hall briefly served as a police training institute run by the Japanese invaders. Today, the newly renovated Guangdong Guild Hall has become a window into appreciating Chinese theatrical art and showcasing the culture of Chinese drama.

- Exhibition Rooms

Now serving as the Tianjin Theatre Museum, it houses three exhibition rooms under the “Exhibition on the History of Theatre Development in Tianjin” at the Guangdong Guild Hall.

These display a brief history of Chinese opera, the development of theatre in Tianjin, and special exhibitions dedicated to figures in the performing arts industry. The museum also houses a collection of over 4,000 artifacts related to drama, including calligraphy and performance costumes from famous Peking Opera masters such as Mei Lanfang, Shang Xiaoyun, and Ma Lianliang. It functions as a cultural venue integrating exhibitions, performances, and more. Transportation: Buses 15, 25, and 37 provide direct access. Opening hours: 9:00–11:20, 14:00–16:30

Address: Gulou East Street, Nankai District

Tel: 27273443