Yangliuqing Ancient Town

　　Yangliuqing Town is located at a strategic point near the capital, serving as the seat of the Xiqing District government and functioning as the district's political, economic, and cultural hub. The area lies in the western part of Tianjin, bordered by Zhongbei Town and Yangliuqing Farm to the east, Zhangjiawo Town to the west, Xinkou Town to the southwest, Wuqing District to the northwest, and Beichen District to the north. Covering an area of 64 square kilometers, the town itself has a built-up area of 13 square kilometers. The town government administers 25 administrative villages and 29 neighborhood committees, with a total population of 110,000, making it the largest town in Tianjin and the Bohai Economic Rim. Yangliuqing Town has a long historical heritage and rich cultural depth. It boasts abundant folk art, along with rich cultural and natural landscapes, and has seen rapid development in leisure tourism.

　　Yangliuqing Town is 16 kilometers from downtown Tianjin, 30 kilometers from Tianjin Binhai International Airport, and 50 kilometers from Tianjin Port. It is directly connected to the urban area and the outer ring road via Xiqing Road and Jinyang Highway. The Beijing-Shanghai Railway, Jintong Highway, Jinjing Highway, Jingbao Expressway, and Jingfu Expressway all pass through the area. Additionally, the town is surrounded by three rivers—the South Canal, the Ziya River, and the Daqing River—which converge and flow past the town into Tianjin and out to sea. It is situated within Tianjin’s integrated transportation network of highways, railways, sea routes, and air routes.

　　On September 4, 2007, Yangliuqing Town was designated as a National Hygienic Town by the National Patriotic Health Campaign Committee.

　　Yangliuqing Town is a historically renowned town in northern China. Originally named “Liukou,” it was later renamed “Liukou” again. In the second year of the Zhenyou era of the Jin Dynasty (1214), it was established as “Liukou Town,” marking the beginning of its administrative status. The town adopted its current name during the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties.

　　Before the Qing Dynasty, Yangliuqing Town was successively under the jurisdiction of Zhangwu, Pingshu, Lucheng, Wuqing, Jinghai, and Tianjin counties. During the Republic of China period, it was governed by Tianjin County. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it came under the jurisdictions of Hebei Province, Tianjin Special District of Hebei Province, Jinghai County, Nankai District of Tianjin, and Xijiao District of Tianjin (now renamed Xiqing District).

　　It was once a key hub for north-south canal transport and a center for trade and commerce. Since its establishment as a town in the Jin Dynasty, it has endured for over a thousand years through the Yuan, Ming, Qing, and Republican eras up to the present.

　　Yangliuqing Town has a long historical heritage and rich cultural depth. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it served as a major hub along the canal transport system and became a distribution center for commerce, culture, and exchange in northern China. The town enjoyed thriving commerce and was known as the “Little Jiangnan of the North” and the “Little Yangzhou on the River.” Yangliuqing Town is home to numerous historical and cultural relics, including the Wenchang Pavilion, the best-preserved pavilion-style architecture from the Ming Dynasty in China, originally built in 1576. The Anjia Courtyard, built 130 years ago by An Wenzhong—regarded as the first of the Yangliuqing people to join the military supply caravan—is also widely renowned.

　　Yangliuqing Town has a wealth of folk arts. Yangliuqing New Year woodblock prints, which originated in the Song Dynasty, flourished in the Ming Dynasty, and reached their peak during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, once thrived with the saying “every household knows dyeing, every family excels in painting.” These prints are esteemed as the foremost among China’s woodblock New Year artworks, profoundly influencing nearly a hundred other types of New Year prints across the country, and making New Year painting a custom in northern regions. Other traditional crafts such as Yangliuqing paper-cutting, kite-making, brick carving, stone carving, and folk performance troupes also shine brightly, making them treasures of China’s folk art.

　　The folk culture of Yangliuqing Town is rich and vibrant. In the old days, the town had an opera tower, memorial archways, and the Wenchang Pavilion, known as the “Three Treasures of Yangliuqing.” During the Qing Dynasty, there were the prestigious Chongwen Academy of Tianjin and more than 40 ancient temples, some of which still remain today, such as the Puliang Pagoda, Bao’en Temple, and the ruins of the Baitan Temple. The Shijia Courtyard, built in 1875 and located in the center of the town, is famed as the “Number One Civilian Residence in North China” due to its grand scale and exquisite architecture. These cultural sites, along with the quaint streets of the Qing Dynasty, traditional courtyard homes, and the scenery along the ancient canal, together create the beautiful cultural tapestry of Yangliuqing.

　　Time Needed for Visit

　　Half a day or 1 day

　　Transportation

　　By car, you can reach the town via the Beijing-Tianjin Expressway and transfer to the Rongwu Expressway, or take bus 824 or Minibus 9 from Tianjin Railway Station, or take buses 175, Xixi Line 1, or Xixi Line 2 from elsewhere in the city.

　　Admission Fee

　　Free

　　Opening Hours

　　All day

　　Location

　　Yangliuqing Town, Xiqing District, Tianjin