A street trading on a vibrant past

Editor's note: An array of Chinese cities have maintained their cultural memories in the form of historical neighborhoods that have only added to their multilayered charm and vigor with the passage of time. China Daily is taking readers on a journey through some of the timeless city blocks where President Xi Jinping has left his footsteps and remarked on the preservation and revitalization of their heritage. In this installment, we take a stroll near the Haihe River in Tianjin's downtown, to an area that cultivated the city's merchant culture.

Amid the good-humored repartee of storytellers to the beat of bamboo clappers, the street-side stalls laying out propitious festive items, and the mouthwatering scent of delicious local specialties, Tianjin Ancient Cultural Street offers a condensed and distilled sample of the authentic Tianjin.

When asked about the ideal day trip to this historically and culturally interesting city block, Yang Kai, 56, a Tianjin native who has been plying his trade there for the past 35 years, says in the unique Tianjin accent, which exudes a laid-back, but witty air: "Don't come too early."

Ten o'clock is the ideal time to arrive, he recommends, after having a prolonged and satisfying breakfast. The block is noted for its two gateways of antique elegance, which stand at its southern and northern ends, but it doesn't really matter from which one a visitor starts their journey.

"If you are here for the cultural atmosphere — it is, after all, a cultural street — you're in for a treat. We have the Niren Zhang clay figurines, Yangliuqing New Year pictures, bookstores … Take your time and browse the stores, especially now that each one offers its own experiential activities. These activities will take up a lot of your time, and two hours will have passed before you've realized," he says.