Tianjin Tap Water Museum

Tianjin Tap Water Museum

The Tianjin Tap Water Museum serves as a base for science education and patriotic education.

Tianjin was one of the first cities in China to introduce a tap water system. The Tianjin Tap Water Museum is located within the "Water Fun Park" in Hongqiao District and is the city’s only specialized museum built on the structure of a former production workshop.

The museum was independently constructed by the Tianjin Water Group and completed in 2010. The exhibition hall covers an area of 1,100 square meters and houses 202 sets of artifacts including tools, equipment, and documents from various periods, as well as over 300 wall charts. Since its opening, it has hosted numerous events such as exhibitions on the development history of Tianjin’s urban water supply industry and science popularization displays on new water supply technologies.

The museum's exhibitions are divided into five sections: Early Beginnings, Rebirth of Water Supply, Water Diversion and Development, Benefiting People’s Livelihoods, and Technology Advancing Water. Through showcasing the historical evolution and technological advancements of Tianjin’s tap water, the museum helps citizens understand the city’s water supply history, witness the modern tap water production process, and realize that “tap water” is not “free water,” thereby enhancing awareness of water conservation and protection. Early Beginnings (1898–1949): Showcases ancient water usage methods such as carrying river water and drawing well water through precious historical documents, depicting the difficult early days of Tianjin’s tap water system in 1898. Rebirth of Water Supply (1949–1978): Focuses on the life and contributions of Liu Dipu, the first figure in Tianjin’s water supply industry, and illustrates scenes of establishing the water company, building and renovating water plants, and increasing water production capacity since the founding of New China. Water Diversion and Development (1978–2000): Uses various production tools, construction machinery, and souvenirs to depict the implementation of the Luanhe River Diversion, Yellow River Diversion, and Yangtze River Diversion projects. Benefiting People’s Livelihoods (2000–present): Mainly displays the significant achievements of the city’s water supply initiatives for public benefit. Technology Advancing Water: Highlights new technologies, processes, and materials in the global water supply industry, and their promotion and application in all aspects of production and pipeline maintenance.

The museum integrates water culture exhibitions and purified water science education through landscape restoration, artifact displays, and process models, presenting the evolution of Tianjin’s urban water supply in modern times and calling on citizens to foster environmental awareness in cherishing water sources and valuing tap water.

The Tap Water Museum is a municipal science education base. In 2013, it was designated as a Tianjin Patriotic Education Base by the Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government.

Address of Tianjin Tap Water Museum: No. 143, Yunhe South Road, Hongqiao District. Free admission (advance reservation required). Contact number: 23399465. Website: www.tjgsw.cn.