Gulou Shopping Street


Tianjin, also known as the diamond of the Bohai Gulf and the gateway to the capital of the People's
Republic of China, is one of the biggest industrial and port cities in China. The city has a long and
illustrious history, and the marks that the past has imprinted upon the place can still be seen today, albeit
in diminished, and diminishing, form. For the visitor today, this legacy can still be glimpsed, in the varied
and beautiful architecture of the old concessionary areas, amongst the foibles and antiques to be found
in the winding streets of the antique market, and with visits to the profusion of religious buildings that litter
the city.

Drum Tower (Gulou) is situated in the center of ancient town, covering 190,000 square meters with a total
construction area of 300,000 square meters. It is characterized by its Ming and Qing Dynasty style, the 27
meters high grand tower is elegant built with brick walls, white jade brackets and wooden square blocks inserted between the top of a column and
a crossbeam with upturned eave. The decorated archways and opera towers are elegantly designed with an ancient style.

The Gulou Street is a crossroad, 590 meters long from south to north and 482 meters long from east to west. The north
street is characterized by treasures and folk art pieces; the south is famous for its collections; the west street is for
culture display and shopping; the east street is characterized by its cultural entertainment, where the drum-tower tourist
supermarket is situated.

Gulou Shopping Street in Tianjin is located in the center of the old city area and is a huge district for sightseeing,
enjoying the local culture, shopping and leisure. Buildings at this pedestrians only street demonstrate an architecture
style of the Qing Dynasty and extend to four directions from the Drum Tower in the heart. On the street, there are
archways, theaters and stores of the Ming and Qing styles.

The street presents the solid cultural foundations of Tianjin vividly, as well as its trade and culture phenomena as a
modern metropolis.