Tianjin’s Gu Culture Street meanders along the banks of the Haihe River, a collection of Qing brick and tile buildings forming a vibrant folk painting unfolding before the eyes, encapsulating Tianjin’s century-long prosperity within its streets and alleys. It’s not only a living museum of intangible skills, but also a gene bank for Tianjin’s folk culture. Ni Ren Zhang’s clay sculptures burst with vitality at the fingertips, Yang Liu Qing’s New Year paintings spread auspiciousness on paper, antique markets’ copper furnaces and jade wares reflect the prosperity of Qing Dynasty merchants, and the sounds of crosstalk and jokes in tea houses weave a unique urban rhythm.
