Tianjin Five Great Avenues Cultural Tourism Area

　　The Five Great Avenues is not an official place name; in fact, it should be the Six Great Avenues, namely Chengdu Avenue, Chongqing Avenue, Changde Avenue, Dali Avenue, Munan Avenue, and Mache Avenue, which later became a widely spread colloquial term.

　　As it was once a British concession, the various styles of architecture left behind have become the most eye-catching scenery. The top recommendations are Mache Avenue and Munan Avenue. Though the roads are not wide, they are home to 300 small Western-style buildings, each with a story—some famous, some lesser known. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll find even more surprises.

　　The most distinctive way to explore the Five Great Avenues is by taking a horse-drawn carriage; you can also opt for a rickshaw or an electric sightseeing vehicle, with a guide providing commentary along the way. However, the Five Great Avenues are better suited for leisurely strolling or renting a bicycle. If your schedule isn’t too tight, take your time to wander around.

　　The Five Great Avenues is a general term for a district located in the southern part of Tianjin’s central urban area. Here, five east-west streets are named after well-known southwestern Chinese cities: Chengdu, Chongqing, Changde, Dali, Munan, and Mache, totaling 22 roads. Locals commonly refer to this area as the “Five Great Avenues.”

　　The Five Great Avenues area boasts over 2,000 garden-style houses built in the 1920s and 1930s, featuring architectural styles from England, France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Among them, there are more than 300 historic buildings and residences of notable figures, making it widely recognized as Tianjin’s unique Expo of global architecture. These buildings showcase a rich variety of styles, including Renaissance, Greek, Gothic, Romanticism, Eclecticism, and Sino-Western fusion, forming a kind of frozen art.

　　The Five Great Avenues area is the most concentrated district of famous residences in Tianjin. As a reflection of Tianjin’s modern history, it is rich in cultural significance and steeped in a strong sense of history. Many notable figures from modern times have left their footprints here, and every building holds a story, vividly showcasing a century of China’s modern history. Over a hundred renowned individuals from China and abroad, including Presidents Cao Kun and Xu Shichang, six premiers of the Beiyang Cabinet, U.S. President Hoover, and Secretary of State Marshall, once lived here.

　　Visiting the “Five Great Avenues” and seeing Tianjin’s “Western-style houses” is actually a fun journey through a corridor of architectural art. The Five Great Avenues still retain their elegant, quaint, and tranquil charm. Coming here allows you to escape the noisy and flashy world, as if stepping into a quiet museum of global architecture.

　　Suggested Duration

　　Half a day

　　Transportation

　　Take Metro Line 1 and get off at Xiaobailou Station, or take bus routes 9, 9 Interval, 9 Yanglou Interval, 831, 845, 902, 951, or Sightseeing Bus 2 (Air-conditioned) and get off at Guilin Road Station. Walk about 130 meters to reach the destination.

　　Admission Fee

　　Free. At the Visitor Center (intersection of Chongqing Avenue and Hebei Road), you can rent a single bicycle (no specialty bikes), with the first hour costing 10 RMB (includes exhibition hall visit), and each additional half hour costing 5 RMB/hour.

　　The horse-drawn carriage tour route starts from Chongqing Avenue and ends back at the starting point via Xinhua Road, taking about 30 minutes per loop. Price: 80 RMB per person per loop for individual riders, with a guide provided per carriage; chartered carriage tours cost 1,200 RMB per loop.

　　Opening Hours

　　All day

　　Location

　　Near Xiaobailou Metro Station, Heping District, Tianjin

　　Address: No. 70, Chongqing Avenue, Heping District

　　Phone: 23142954

The Tianjin Five Great Avenues Cultural Tourism Area is aAAAA-level tourist attraction