Xiangsheng Teahouse main view
Culture·Verified Trust

Xiangsheng Teahouse

Heping, Tianjin

4.6(1900 reviews)
CrosstalkComedyTeahouse

Tianjin is the home of xiangsheng, China's stand-up comedy - and the teahouse is its cathedral.

Xiangsheng - the rapid-fire dialogue comedy that is China's answer to stand-up - was born in Tianjin, and the city's teahouses still perform it nightly: two performers, a table, a fan, and ninety minutes of wordplay, impersonation, and puns that get the room roaring.

You will not catch every joke, but the physical comedy and rhythm translate. The Mingliu Teahouse near the Ancient Culture Street is the classic house. Tea and sunflower seeds are the etiquette.

Best for: China's funniest art form, performed where it was invented.

More in Tianjin

Goubuli BaoziVerified Trust

Goubuli Baozi

Tianjin · Restaurants

3.9

Tianjin's most famous steamed buns - eighteen folds per bun, and a story to match.

Steamed Buns160 YearsIconic
Five Great AvenuesVerified Trust

Five Great Avenues

Tianjin · Culture

4.6

The largest intact colonial district in China - 2,000 villas on tree-lined lanes.

Colonial ArchitecturePedicabHistory
Tianjin EyeVerified Trust

Tianjin Eye

Tianjin · Culture

4.5

The ferris wheel built on a bridge over the Hai River - a 120-meter rotation above old Tianjin.

Ferris WheelRiver ViewIcon