Tianjin Theater Museum

　　   It has now been converted into the Tianjin Theater Museum, located in the center 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 (1907) and was advocated for by Tang Shaoyi, the then Customs Commissioner of Tianjin. It served as a lodging and community institution established by people from Guangdong residing in Tianjin.

　　   The Guangdong Guild Hall, located south of the Drum Tower in Tianjin’s Old Town, is the most completely preserved and largest-scale Qing Dynasty guild hall in Tianjin to this day.

　　   The well-preserved and large-scale Qing Dynasty guild hall building not only reflects the architectural style of China’s Lingnan region but also embodies 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, hence called “big-eye chicken boats.” Every 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 formed 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 conflict arose due to embezzlement by an official in charge. The Fujian and Chaozhou factions refused to let the Guangdong faction manage the guild hall or access its accounts, leaving the Guangdong group marginalized within the Fujian-Guangdong Guild Hall. In the late Guangxu period, Tang Shaoyi, a Cantonese and Customs Commissioner of Tianjin, proposed reconstructing their own guild hall to strengthen the Guangdong presence, personally donating 4,000 taels of silver. The proposal was warmly received by Guangdong merchants, and in a short time, over 90,000 taels were raised. They purchased land at the former site of the Salt Transport Office on Gulou South Street in Tianjin to construct the new guild hall. On January 14, 1907 (the 33rd year of Guangxu), the new guild hall was completed and named the Guangdong Guild Hall.

　　   - Interior Sights

　　   The guild hall resembles a large traditional Chinese courtyard. Most of the bricks, tiles, and timber were imported from Guangdong. The main gate is grand, with towering Luohan gables, and all halls feature corridors, with lavish interiors that reflect distinct Lingnan characteristics. Surrounding the guild hall are more than 300 rooms for shops and residence, and to the southeast of the guild hall lies the “South Garden.”

　　   The “South Garden” includes flower beds, orchards, a medical clinic, and resting areas for fellow Cantonese. In its heyday, the garden had peach blossom woods and grapevines, offering exceptionally beautiful scenery. The theater building is the main structure of the Tianjin Guangdong Guild Hall. In front lies a spacious courtyard adorned with a plaque inscribed with “Lingbo Ninghe” (Tranquil Harmony of the Ridge and Waves). Passing through an alleyway, there is a wooden indoor theater that could accommodate seven to eight hundred people. The balcony seats are private boxes, while the ground floor features regular seating. The stage is 10 meters deep and 11 meters wide, with a spiral caisson ceiling made of intricately joined fine wood, featuring exquisite carvings and excellent acoustics. The stage’s front beam is carved with a pierced design of a lion rolling a ball, and the corner pillars feature lotus buds. The stage front is inlaid with a large wooden relief of “Heavenly Official Bestows Blessings,” depicting the Heavenly Official, children, monkeys, pine trees, clouds, and bats in the corners — forming a lively and harmonious composition. The stage doors and windows are also carved with traditional patterns such as lions, phoenixes, and peonies. On this rare-for-the-north theater stage, 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, it often hosted public gatherings or performances, with famous artists like Mei Lanfang and Yang Xiaolou performing on this stage. In 1925, An Xingsheng, a communist, established the Tianjin General Labor Union here using the guild hall as its headquarters. When Tianjin was under Japanese occupation, the guild hall briefly served as a police training academy for the invaders. Now, the newly renovated Guangdong Guild Hall has become a window for understanding and appreciating Chinese theatrical art and showcasing China’s dramatic culture.

　　   - Exhibition Rooms

　　   Now part of the Tianjin Theater Museum, it houses three exhibition rooms under the “Exhibition on the Development History of Tianjin Theater” at the Guangdong Guild Hall.

　　   Exhibitions include a brief history of Chinese opera, the development of theater in Tianjin, as well as special exhibitions related to figures in the performing arts industry. The museum also houses a collection of over 4,000 cultural relics and artifacts related to drama, including calligraphy and costumes from renowned Peking Opera masters such as Mei Lanfang, Shang Xiaoyun, and Ma Lianliang. It serves as a cultural venue integrating exhibitions, performances, and more. Transportation: Bus routes 15, 25, and 37 go directly there. Opening hours: 9:00–11:20, 14:00–16:30

　　   Address: East Gulou Street, Nankai District

　　   Phone: 27273443

Tianjin Theater Museum is aAAA-level tourist attraction

Guangdong Guild Hall