Located approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) northwest of Tianjin in Jixian County, Pan Shan (Pán Shān, 盘山) makes for a great getaway from hyper-urban Tianjin and Beijing. Pan Shan's green slopes are famed for their jade pines and rock formations shaped into fantastic shapes by centuries of wind and water. In addition to the jade pines, the mountain is home to over 320 different types of tree, making Pan Shan a botanist's paradise. The main peak, Hanging Moon Peak (Guàyuè Fēng, 挂月峰), rises sharply to 864 meters (2,835 feet) above sea level, on clear days within sight of the Great Wall of China to the west and the Taihang Mountains (Tàiháng Shān, 太行山) to the east. Pan Shan's natural splendor is enhanced by prime examples of classic Chinese architecture—ancient temples and shrines dot the mountain. All told, 72 Buddhist si... more >>

The Great Wall at Huangya Pass (Huángyáguān Chángchéng, 黄崖关长城) weaves across the very northern tip of Tianjin municipality, approximately 28 kilometers (17.4 miles) north of Jixian County Town. From the pass, the only one of its kind in the area, the Great Wall extends northward into Hebei Province. Here the Great Wall runs over some particularly steep and rugged terrain, and great photo opportunities abound, especially during sunsets.   Huangya Pass was an important defensive post in northern China throughout history. In the last few years, new features have been added to the original construction, and though the wall itself has been renovated fairly recently it still shows its age around the edges. This section of the wall is less plagued by huge tourist groups than its Beijing counterparts, and you're more likely to be able to amble casual... more >>

A large and colorful archway greets you at the entrance of Tianjin's Ancient Culture Street (Gǔwénhuà Jiē, 古文化街). Like its counterpart in Beijing, the famous Liulichang (Liúlíchǎng,琉璃厂), the street is an attempt to recreate a traditional Chinese neighborhood in the middle of a modern urban landscape. Though almost everything a fabrication of "old China," it's not hard to appreciate the careful inclusion of authentic-enough details, including carved and brightly colored columns, curved balconies and stylized tile roofs. "Antiques" here are generally expensive, but if you have a knack for bargaining you stand a decent chance of scoring some prime souvenirs—calligraphy, posters, tea sets, paper cutout art and the like—at reasonable prices. Shops worth checking out include the Nirenzhang Clay Figurine Shop, Yangliuq... more >>

Tianjin's famous Grand Mercy Monastery (Dàbēi Chányuàn, 大悲禅院) is located beside the Haihe River on Tianwei Lu (Tiánwěi Lù, 田尾路). Belonging to the Zen (Chan) School of Buddhism, the Grand Mercy Monastery is one of the biggest and best-preserved Zen Temples in northern China, though many of the monastery's buildings had to be rebuilt after the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. The temple is divided into two parts: the Old Temple, built in 1669 during the Qing Dynasty, and the New Temple, added in 1940, which houses an impressive antique—a golden statue of Sakyamuni Buddha dating back to the Ming Dynasty. Worshippers and visitors alike flock to see this antique as well as numerous other stunning Buddhist carvings situated in both the new and old temples. Tianjin guide | Tianjin attractions | Tianjin flights | Tianjin hotels Tianjin ... more >>

Like many other cities in China where ancient historical sites remain somewhat intact, Tianjin boasts a large palace-like Confucius Temple. The temple was built during the Ming Dynasty some 500 years ago. Of particular interest are the goldfish ponds, decorative archways, and Ancestral and Dacheng Halls honoring Confucius and his teachings. One of Tianjin's oldest buildings, this is quintessential classical China. Tianjin guide | Tianjin attractions | Tianjin flights | Tianjin hotels Tianjin tours & activities | Tianjin on the China Travel Blog more >>

The Shi Family Courtyard Residence (Tiānjīn Shí Jiā Dà Yuàn, 天津石家大院) is a monument to the wealth of the merchant Shi clan, one of 19th-century Tianjin's pre-eminent famlies. Completed in 1875 by Shi Yuanshi, the fourth son of one of the "eight masters of Tianjin," Shi Wancheng, the network of stone and brick courtyards and buildings includes a theater and over 275 rooms that served as apartments and places of business and worship for this powerful family. Today, the Shi mansion, located in the township of Yangliuqing to the west of central Tianjin, stands as a surpringly well-preserved monument to China's pre-revolution mercantile spirit. It also serves as an on-location shoot for many of China's popular historical dramas, so if you catch sight of a familiar courtyard scene on CCTV a few days after your visit, don't be surprised. Many of the rooms fe... more >>

Tianjin's Wudadao (Wǔ Dàdào, 五大道) or "Five Avenues", refers to a rectangle of five roads spanning a total of 1.28 square kilometers (0.48 square miles) in the southern reaches of the city, containing numerous historical buildings dating back to the city's bustling heyday as a treaty port. The earliest and largest coastal city in north China, early 20th century Tianjin's economy was booming and foreign concessions proliferated. In 1901 the Wudadao area was handed over to the British as little more than waterlogged marshland, but from 1919-1926 they dredged the river and reclaimed the land for what would become one of Tianjin's most desirable neighborhoods, stretching across the five main avenues of Machang Avenue (Mǎchǎng Dào, 马场道), Munan Avenue (Mùnán Dào, 睦南道), Dali Avenue (Dàlǐ Dào, 大理道), Chengdu Avenue (Ché... more >>

Surely one of the country's most unusual buildings, Tianjin's Porcelain House is also known, fittingly enough, as the "China House" (Cí Fángzi, 鐡锋埧瀛). Sitting on Chifeng Dao (Chìfēng Dào 赤峰道), every possible inch of the house's exterior is covered by a vibrant mosaic of porcelain pieces. The house is the brainchild of Tianjin native Zhang Lianzhi, who has found a truly novel way of exhibiting the extensive collection of ancient Chinese vases and other ceramics that he spent over 20 years collecting. Experts claim the collection is worth RMB 2 billion, with the Porcelain House displaying over 5,000 ancient vases, 4,000 plates and more than 400 million fragments of antique pottery. Zhang believes he has given them a new lease of life, and allowed many more people the opportunity to appreciate them. It was thi... more >>

Standing 120 meters (390 ft) tall, the Tianjin Eye (Tiānjīn Zhīyǎn, 天津之眼) is one of the largest Ferris Wheels in China and the only structure of its kind to have been built on a bridge. Completed in 2007, the Tianjin Eye sits astride the Yongle Bridge (Yǒnglè Qiáo, 永乐桥) over the Hai River, its 48 capsules swinging passengers up and around on a 30-minute rotation that takes in commanding views of the city below. Brightly lit at night, the Tianjin Eye has become an iconic part of the Tianjin skyline, its reflection making a dramatic, and some might say auspicious, figure in the river below. Tianjin guide | Tianjin attractions | Tianjin flights | Tianjin hotels Tianjin tours & activities | Tianjin on the China Travel Blog more >>