The Walk
Stay
TIANJIN
Tianjin is a surprising cultural and architectural
feast. European-style monuments now bask in
the shadows of skyscrapers. Journey on foot
and let the structures narrate the city’s story
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Porcelain House
(Cifangzi)
72 Chifeng Road, Heping
Tread north along a
30-minute route to arrive
at this peculiar house of
chinaware. In 2002, an
avid porcelain collector
purchased it and decided
to make it the showcase
for his collection — by
covering the entire house.
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Tianjin Quanye Bazaar
290 Heping Rd, Heping
You’d think you are walking
along Avenue Montaigne
in Paris, but you’re not.
Located in one of the most
prosperous districts in
Tianjin, the enormous, and
historic Quanye Bazaar,
was designed by a French
architect in 1928, and is
the go-to place for retail
and gastronomic therapy.
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Italian Style Street
Minzu Road, Hebei
By now, you're used to
walking into different
‘dimensions’ in Tianjin.
Unlike the French-inspired
bazaar, this area is surrounded by low-rise,
homely Italian buildings
and ‘Renaissance’ statues,
against a backdrop of
modern skyscrapers. Stop
for a coffee here.
At Hillside World Academy,
a second language
becomes second nature
Hillside World Academy
CPE Reg. No. : 200607850N
Validity: 26/04/2015—25/04/2019
11 Hillside Drive, Singapore 548926 | +65 6254 0200 | [email protected]
Illustration: Antoine Corbineau
Hillside World Academy (HWA) is a three-programme IB World
School that integrates Eastern and Western cultures in education,
and caters for kindergarten to grade 12 students. Within the IB
framework, HWA offers a Chinese and English bilingual programme,
immersing your child in a truly multicultural environment.
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Haihe Cultural Square
Haihe East Road, Hebei
Take a short stroll across
the steely Daguangming
Bridge over the Hai River.
Today, the former shipping
centre has been transformed into a resort-like
escape from the bustle
of the city and is marked
by solemn structures that
have been overlooking the
quiet waters for years.
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Tianjin Old Cultural
Street (Gu Wen Hua Jie)
Dongbeijiao, Nankai
Head west across the Hai
River towards the Nankai
District for a lesson in
ancient Chinese history.
This area is the place for
souvenirs and somewhere
to appreciate classic
pagoda roof frames. The
centrepiece is the Temple
of the Queen of Heaven.
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Nanshi Food Street
Shenyi St, Heping
Your visit to Tianjin will
be incomplete if you miss
the compounds of Nanshi
Food Street, practically a
food city on its own. Home
to over 100 stalls selling
delicacies from street food
to sumptuous eight-course
meals, the sights, smells
and tastes of this street
are too alluring to resist.
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Jingyuan
70 Anshan Avenue, Heping
If you are a history nut, or
a fan of the movie The Last
Emperor, Jingyuan is for you.
Named by Puyi, the last
emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Jingyuan, means quiet
garden in Mandarin. The
residence of the Emperor
after his abdication, he left
the grandiose Forbidden
City for this humble abode.
It’s said that fashion
stores in the Quanye
Bazaar use real people
instead of mannequins
to model clothes. If the
thought unnerves you,
be sure to avoid looking
into the store windows,
lest anything moves.
ASCOTT LIVING 25