Antique markets and scrumptious snacks make Tianjin a nice getaway destination. Spend a few days exploring the city’s narrow alleys, browsing its antique markets and sampling its famous snacks.

Over 600 years old, Tianjin, the largest port city in north China lies on the coast of the Bohai Sea. The city continues a legacy that’s both ancient and modern, Chinese and Western. Most of all, the city is known among Chinese cities for its colonial buildings in the former concession areas that still retain a European air of elegance.

There are over a 1,000 concession era buildings in Tianjin, the construction of which began in 1858 when the Qing court was forced to sign the Treaty of Tianjin allowing for the establishment of concessions in the city. Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Russia, Belgium, Italy and Austria divided parts of Tianjin. Each nation created their own self-sustaining walled enclaves, where their citizens could forget they were far from their native soil.

Walking down the Fifth Avenue or Chifeng Lu is like strolling down an old black and white movie. There are more than 230 buildings of English, French and Italian styles on Fifth Avenue alone. French buildings stand out among the crowd, especially on Chifeng Lu, which was the heart of the French zone. From Central Park, which used to be a French garden, six lanes branch out into downtown shopping areas.

Fifth Avenue was once a seedy den of traitors and intrigue. Before 1949, the street was known as the Governors’ Street due to the number of warlords and politicians who made this street their refuge after being disposed or run out of office in the mercurial world of Chinese politics. Many Chinese celebrities also made their home in this stylish area in an effort to escape the chaos of the era.

From high treason to high fashion, Chifeng Lu now forms the core of Tianjin’s fashion scene. The street, home to rows of hip clothing shops with funky names like Bomb Plastic, Bubbly Disco and Rome Holiday, the young and fashionable swarm to this area for the latest in haute couture.

Not only did the foreign residents build charming homes, they also left many places of worship in the city. Among them, the Wanghai Lou Cathedral (wànghǎi lóu jiàotáng 望海楼教堂) has experienced dramatic ups and downs, emblematic of China’s turbulent past with the west. The cathedral, located by the Shizi Lin Bridge (shīzi lín qiáo狮子林桥), north of the Haihe River, was first built in 1869 by French Catholics and over the years was destroyed and rebuilt several times over and is now once again an active place of worship.

Unlike the many Chinese cities, Buddhist temples don’t dominate the places of worship in Tianjin. The largest and best-maintained temple is the Grand Mercy Temple (dàbēi chánsì大悲禅寺) beside the Jingang Bridge in the Hebei District. More than 300 years old, it’s been home to some outstanding bronze, stone and wooden statues dating back several hundred years.

The streets in Tianjin tend to be twisty mazes. Once you step off the main boulevard, it’s easy to get lost in the labyrinth of old concession era and Chinese style buildings. The small streets are great for those looking for a cozy hutong adventure through the narrow alleyways. A great way to get about the city’s narrow streets is to rent a bike for the day.

Although Tianjin has over a century of western influence, the city has produced some of China’s best folk artists. The Old Culture Street (gǔwénhuà jiē古文化街), a reconstructed antique marketplace in the Nankai District, is a good place to scour for traditional Chinese art and souvenirs. Most of the items here, knick-knacks like meditation balls, stone seals and jade (or faux-jade) jewelry are aimed directly for tourists. There’s also a marvelous array of less common items such as traditional kites and clay figurines of mythological figures and opera characters available at many shops. These figurines (ní rén泥人) are famous in Tianjin, especially those made by the Zhang family. Unlike the colorful clay figures from other parts of China, the works by the Zhangs are a reflection on life, the eyes of these small mud men figurines express sorrow, happiness, joy and frustration. The Zhang’s and other shops selling these figurines can be found on the Old Culture Street.

During the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the marketplace is clogged with vendors selling paintings and calligraphy that are hung on doorways and windows for good luck in the New Year. A handful of shops sell these decorations all year around and they make for interesting gifts. During Spring Festival, the whole city is kitted out in red, whole windows are plastered with red paper cuttings (jiǎn zhǐ 剪纸) of flowers and good luck symbols. The normal grey drab of northern Chinese cities suddenly turns scarlet red as any available piece of frontage is pasted with these festive decorations.

People in Tianjin are also known as great talkers; they can yak on and on, which also makes them great arguers. Many of China’s most famous cross-talkers, comedians who give hilarious pun-filled monologues and dialogues hail from Tianjin. Even if you’re not fluent in Chinese, just observing the animated conversations of the locals will convince you that they’ve been given the gift of gab.