Get to know Xiqing District
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- Administrative area
- District · 市辖区
- Part of
- Tianjin
- Chinese name
- 西青区
- Local areas
- District guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 545.00 km²
- Population · 2020 census
- 1,180,770
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
Setting and landscape
The district forms a long band, about 48 km from north to south and about 11 km wide, and roughly a third of it has merged into the central city. The Ziya River (子牙河) marks its northern edge, and to the south the Duliujian River (独流减河) separates it from Jinghai District (静海区); to the west it borders Wuqing District (武清区) and Bazhou (霸州) in Hebei. The district government describes a dense network of waterways, with three first-class rivers, the Duliujian, the Ziya and the Zhongting (中亭河), crossing the district, and the Grand Canal (京杭大运河), a World Heritage site, also passes through. Its green projects include Xiqing Country Park (西青郊野公园) and the Xixihai Wetland (西西海湿地).
History
According to the district government, the land here took shape in the middle and late Tang dynasty, and in the Northern Song it lay on the border between the Song and the Liao, as a Song front line. Before 1949 the area was split between Tianjin County (天津县) and Jinghai County (静海县). The Jinxi Suburban District (津西郊区) was created on 20 May 1953, was renamed the Western Suburban District (西郊区) in 1955, and moved its seat to Yangliuqing in 1971. On 6 March 1992 it took the name Xiqing, taken from the phrase "津西杨柳青" ("Yangliuqing, west of Tianjin"). Jingwu Town (精武镇), formerly Nanhe, was renamed because it is the home town of the martial artist Huo Yuanjia (霍元甲).
What to see
The district government describes Xiqing as a folk-culture tourism area of Tianjin whose two cultural emblems are the New Year prints and Huo Yuanjia's martial arts. The Shi Family Grand Courtyard (石家大院), which the district government calls "华北第一民宅" ("the first residence of North China"), is a major historical and cultural site protected at the national level; the An Family Courtyard (安家大院) and the An Family Ancestral Hall (安氏祠堂) are also protected monuments. Among the district's 11 protected sites the government names Fengshan Yaowang Temple (峰山药王古寺), first built in the Tang dynasty, and the Wenchang Pavilion (文昌阁) of the Ming dynasty. Tianjin South Railway Station (天津南站) lies within the district, and Tianjin Normal University (天津师范大学) and Tiangong University (天津工业大学) are among its universities.
Food and local products
The district government names Xiqing as the place of origin of Shawo radish (沙窝萝卜).
Highlights
- Yangliuqing woodblock New Year prints 杨柳青木版年画: Xiqing is named by the district government as the birthplace of the prints.
- Shi Family Grand Courtyard 石家大院: Major historical and cultural site protected at the national level, in Yangliuqing.
- Fengshan Yaowang Temple 峰山药王古寺: Protected site first built in the Tang dynasty.
- Wenchang Pavilion 文昌阁: Protected pavilion built in the Ming dynasty.
- Shawo radish 沙窝萝卜: Xiqing is its place of origin, according to the district government.
Sources for this guide
西青区 - 维基百科，自由的百科全书 · Chinese Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
西青区概况 - 西青概况 - 天津市西青区人民政府 · Xiqing District People's Government, Tianjin
历史文化 - 历史文化 - 天津市西青区人民政府 · Xiqing District People's Government, Tianjin
地理位置 - 地理位置 - 天津市西青区人民政府 · Xiqing District People's Government, Tianjin
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-25.
Explore Xiqing District
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Xiqing District
Shi Family Grand Courtyard · 西青石家大院Shi Family Grand Courtyard石家大院
The Shi Family Grand Courtyard is a merchant residence in Yangliuqing whose scale reflects wealth accumulated through trade and grain transport. Domestic rooms, business spaces, a theater and religious halls occupy a carefully…
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The painted entrance archway reading 古镇杨柳 at Yangliuqing Ancient Town, October 2023.Yangliuqing杨柳青古镇
Yangliuqing is a canal-side town west of central Tianjin, known for New Year pictures that combine woodblock printing with vivid color and auspicious imagery. Children, games and symbolic objects recur in this visual tradition…
Read the place guide →
The entrance of the former Tianjin Tropical Botanical Garden site, photographed in its later Tianjin Aerospace Biology Science Park identity; the source states the park was not open when photographed. Photographed on 12 September 2024.Tianjin Tropical Botanical Garden天津热带植物观光园
Tianjin Tropical Botanical Garden was developed beside Caozhuang Flower Market as an enclosed greenhouse landscape in the city's western suburbs. Its historic visitor route linked flower displays and a dry-climate planting area…
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The 古镇杨柳 entrance paifang standing across a street: four red piers on white stone drums carrying painted blue-and-green beams and a blue plaque lettered 古镇杨柳 in gold, with glazed-tile roofs and ridge figures; a red barrier, railings and shoppers on the paving below and shopfronts beyond.Yangliuqing Old Town and Shi Family Courtyard杨柳青古镇与石家大院
Yangliuqing is a historic canal town in Tianjin’s Xiqing District, closely associated with woodblock New Year prints.
Read the place guide →Plan your visit
Getting there
Xiqing District is about 15 km in a straight line from central Tianjin. Search for 西青区 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Shi Family Grand Courtyard and Yangliuqing are less than 1 km apart. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Tianjin →More in Tianjin
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Some facts checked against 西青区 — Wikipedia contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo: Shi Family Grand Courtyard · KangTyngrwey · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and WebP compressed; subject not altered.
Photo: Yangliuqing · Trz1118 · CC0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Tianjin Tropical Botanical Garden · Trz1118 · CC0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Photo: Yangliuqing Old Town and Shi Family Courtyard · KangTyngrwey · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full frame retained; proportionally resized and converted to WebP. No retouching or changes to the photographed subject. Card displays may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.