Customs in Tianjin

一、Traditional Festival Customs
Spring Festival “Busy New Year” Period
Time Span: From Laba Festival to the 16th day of the first lunar month, nearly 40 days of the “New Year period” reflect the importance Tianjin people place on the festival.
Core Rituals:
Laba Festival: Drinking Laba porridge and eating “Jieyuan Beans” (green beans), symbolizing charity and virtue.
Imperial Kitchen God Festival (23rd day of the 12th lunar month): Offering sugar cakes, praying for “good words to heaven.”
New Year’s Eve: Posting Spring Festival couplets, staying up late, preserving the custom of “Biting Spring” (eating radish) and eating spring pancakes and spring rolls.
Lantern Festival (15th day of the first lunar month): Enjoying lanterns, guessing riddles, and the folk elements in Yangliuqing New Year paintings continue to this day.
Lichun “Beating the Spring Ox”
Ritual Content: Local officials host the beating of paper or clay oxen, accompanied by gongs, drums, and firecrackers, symbolizing the promotion of spring plowing.
Current Status: Elements such as “扮春婆” and “迎拗芒” have disappeared, but they remain in New Year paintings.
Chongyang Festival “Climbing High and Eating Cakes”
Traditional Activities: Climbing Yuhuang Pavilion or Drum Tower, eating flower cakes (homophonic for “high”), and mutton hot pot, symbolizing “adding autumn weight.”
Modern Evolution: Since the 1980s, it has become “Elderly Day,” incorporating themes of respecting the elderly.

二、Culinary Culture Symbols
Seasonal Eating Customs
Winter Solstice: Eating dumplings, symbolizing “the division of heaven and earth.”
Cold Winter: Popular “Assorted Pot” hot pot and “Four Winter Delicacies” such as silver fish and purple crabs.
Street Famous Eats
Jianbing Guozi: Known as “Guozi” in Tianjin dialect, it is a representative symbol of breakfast culture.
Goubuli Buns: Originated from the canal port, became famous due to the prosperity of the commercial port.
Shiba Street Crullers: Crispy and sweet, they have become a premium gift for festivals.

三、Folk Art Treasures
Yangliuqing Woodblock New Year Paintings
Historical Status: Thrived due to the canal hub and the resource of Duli wood. At its peak, “every household could paint, every family was good at calligraphy.”
Artistic Features: Themes include auspicious symbols (e.g., “Continuous Surplus”) and daily life. The combination of carving and painting is hailed as the best of Chinese woodblock New Year paintings.
Four Major Folk Arts
Ni Ren Zhang Color Sculpture: Realistic portrayal of daily life figures, such as “Zhongkui Marrying His Sister.”
Wei Family Kites: Combining the boldness of the north with the delicacy of the south.
Kezhuang Liu Brick Carving: Architectural decorative art, commonly seen in old city dwellings.

四、Life Etiquette and Street Culture
Wedding and Funeral Customs
Wedding Customs: “Adding a Chest” (relatives giving wedding gifts) and “Presenting Gifts” (the groom sending dowry) reflect social bonds.
Funeral Customs: “Breaking the Pot” (breaking a clay pot during the funeral) and “Burning the Seven” (honoring the deceased) preserve traditional rituals.
Street Culture
Teahouse Culture: Venues for crosstalk and storytelling, such as “Mingliu Teahouse,” have continued for over a century.
New Educational Customs: After the reform and opening-up, parents exchanging academic information at school gates became a “new folk custom.”

五、Tianjin’s Mother River – Haihe River
Haihe River’s Dock Culture: The culture of dock workers’ chants, Mazu worship (Tianhou Palace), and the commercial customs of Guyi Street all originate from the shipping ecology of the river and sea convergence. For example, the “Huanghui” festival on the 23rd day of the third lunar month was once a ritual for dock workers to pray for blessings, later evolving into a grand folk lantern festival. Daily Life
Water-related Customs: In summer, “washing in the sea” (swimming) and in winter, ice sled rides are seasonal memories for old Tianjin residents.
Culinary Imprints: Haihe River carp “Three Scales,” silver fish, and purple crabs are part of the “Three Winter Delicacies,” with cooking techniques blending Shandong cuisine and local flavors.

六、Tianjin – China’s Florida
Tianjin dialect naturally carries the rhythm of crosstalk, and taxi drivers can improvise monologues. Street conversations are full of “jokes.” For example, when a policeman tries to stop an old man from diving, the old man replies, “Bye, I don’t know how to read,” creating a comedic effect.
The “Diving Grandpas” at Shizilin Bridge have spontaneously formed a performance group. Tourists hold up scoreboards, and the police trying to stop them become “supporting actors,” humorously dubbed as “Tianjin’s hidden cultural tourism project.” Notable Scene: Before diving, the grandpa shouts, “Welcome to Tianjin!” and after diving, tourists cheer like at an Olympic event.
Pearl-adorned Aunts: On buses, women with high hairstyles decorated with pearls symbolize “female status.”
Creative Slogans: Road signs read “I’m too busy in Tianjin to miss you” and “Wish you success,” while street vendors shout, “If it’s not delicious, hit me in the face.”