From Binjiang Road to Riverside 66 — three places to shop in Tianjin

A century-old pedestrian street, a premium mall on the Hai River, and a mall popular with the younger crowd in Nankai — three different ways to shop in Tianjin.

Words · Editorial desk

It's hard to pick just one place to shop in Tianjin. A century-old pedestrian street, a premium mall on the Hai River, and a trendy mall in Nankai District each have a completely different feel. Here's a look at all three, so you can pick based on budget and mood.

Binjiang Road & Heping Road — the pedestrian street known as "Jin Jie"

Binjiang Road runs southwest from Zhangzizhong Road, near the Hai River, to Nanjing Road, and walking the whole thing takes a while — it's over two kilometers long. Where it meets Heping Road, first laid out in 1902, the area was turned into a pedestrian-only zone in the 2000s and picked up the nickname "Jin Jie," or Gold Street. There's no closing time, so simply walking it after the lights come on in the evening is worth doing on its own.

Don't skip Quanyechang, a building from 1928 still standing partway down the street. It was once so busy people called it "a city within a city, a market within a market," and in 2016 it made China's first list of 20th-century architectural heritage sites. Even if you're not there to shop, the building itself is worth a look for what it says about Tianjin's commercial past. For actual shopping, head to Baihuo Dalou at 172 Heping Road — a homegrown Tianjin department store.

One thing worth knowing ahead of time: Isetan, the Japanese department store often mentioned in older guides, already left Tianjin in 2024. If you're going off older information, it's worth double-checking so you don't show up to nothing. The nearest metro stop is Yingkou Road, on lines 1 and 3.

Riverside 66 — a premium mall on the Hai River

If Binjiang Road is the old street, Riverside 66 is its opposite. It opened in 2014 at 166 Xing'an Road in Heping District, in what used to be called Xiaobailou, and the first thing that catches the eye is its facade — a gentle curve running nearly 380 meters along the Hai River. The complex covers more than 150,000 square meters and holds over 280 luxury and contemporary brands, so it's worth setting aside half a day rather than rushing through.

Being right on the river is the real advantage here — you can walk straight from the mall onto the riverside promenade, so it's easy to shop in the afternoon and stroll along the water as evening falls. It's a walk from Xiaobailou station on metro line 1, and if you're driving, the mall's own lot (about 800 spaces) means parking isn't much of a worry.

Joy City Nankai — a mall popular with the younger crowd

Joy City's Nankai branch has a completely different feel. At 2 Nanmenwai Street in Nankai District, it's far more casual than Riverside 66 — instead of luxury, you'll find budget-friendly local and international brands and boutiques, plus a cinema and indoor play areas, making it an easy stop with kids in tow. Major stores, including the Apple Store, are generally open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., though closing times vary a bit by store, so it's worth checking ahead if you're headed there for something specific.

It's within walking distance of the old neighborhoods around Gulou and Nanmen, so it's easy to follow up a visit here with a stroll through the older streets nearby. It's a walk from Gulou station, on metro lines 2 and 7.

※ Admission fees and hours are subject to change. Please confirm before visiting.

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