Matzu cultureIt is an important part of folk culture in Tianjin, and it plays animportant role in the formation and development of the city of Tianjin.

Opera and folk arts  Tianjin is one of the birthplaces of cultural arts innorthern China and enjoys the reputation of “cradle of opera” and “city of folk arts”. Many forms of opera and folk arts were born, cultivated and developed in Tianjin. Among them, Tianjin Shidiao (tune), Tianjin Kuaiban (clapper talk), Jingyun Dagu etc. were born and formed in Tianjin. Xiangsheng (cross talk), Peking Opera, Pingju Opera, and Hebei Bangzi (clapper opera), etc., all have been cultivated and developed in Tianjin. Tianjin fostered hundreds of Xiangsheng artists represented by Ma Sanli, enabling it to become a universally acknowledged cradle of Xiangsheng artists. So far, Xiangsheng, Pingju Opera, Hebei Bangzi, Tianjin Shidiao, and Meihua Dagu have all been listed as items of national intangible cultural heritages.

Ma Sanli (1914-2003), a famous Chinese Xiangsheng (cross talk) artist, was born in a folk art family and studied all 4 basic skills of Xiangsheng: talking (shuo), imitating (xue), cracking jokes (dou) and singing (chang) at an early age. He went on stage in 1930 and created numerous works that are popular among audiences. He also developed his unique style in his 80 years’ career.

Tianjin Temple of the Queen of Heaven

Tianjin Temple of the Queen of Heaven (Tianhou Temple) was originally built in 1326, located outside the east gate of the ancient Tianjin. Originally, it was called Tianfei Temple (the temple of the concubine of heaven), popularly called Niangniang Temple. As the oldest building group in Tianjin, it was rebuilt many times. It is also one of the earliest Matzu temples in China, and one of the three biggest Matzu temples in the world, the other two being Meizhou Matzu Temple in Fujian Province and Beigang Chao-tian Temple in Taiwan.