Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street (Tianjin ancient cultural street), also known as Gongnan and Gongbei Street, is located outside the northeast corner gate of Nankai District, Tianjin, on the west bank of the Haihe River. During the Yuan Dynasty, maritime transport flourished. In the third year of the Taiding era of the Yuan Dynasty (1326), an order was issued to "build the Tianfei Palace in Haijin Town," namely the Tianhou Palace. After the Tianhou Palace was completed, markets gradually formed to its south and north, developing into Gongnan and Gongbei Streets. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Ancient Cultural Street underwent two major renovations and reconstructions. On New Year's Day in 1986, it was completed and opened.
Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street starts from Tongbei Road in the north and ends at Shuige Street in the south, and runs from Dongma Road in the west to Zhangzizhong Road in the east. At both ends are giant antique-style archways. It has a total length of 580 meters and a total planned construction area of 200,000 square meters. It is a commercial pedestrian street integrating folk culture, tourism and commerce, shopping and leisure, and dining and accommodation. The main attractions of Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street include the Tianhou Palace, Yuhuang Pavilion, Tongqing Li, the theater stage, and the Folk Culture Museum. It is a concentration of time-honored Tianjin shops selling folk handicrafts and gathers numerous intangible cultural heritage brands.
Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street is the birthplace of Tianjin culture, recording the formation process of Tianjin's old urban area and containing rich cultural connotations and historical value. In 2005, Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street was awarded the title of a Chinese Characteristic Commercial Street. In May 2007, the Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street Tourist Area (Jinmen Guli) was awarded the National AAAAA-Level Tourist Attraction. On January 16, 2023, Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street was announced by the General Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism as a second-batch national-level tourist leisure district.