Five Great Avenues (Wudadao)
Tian Jin, Tianjin Municipality
A former British concession district holding more than 2,000 villas built through the 1920s and 30s in British, Italian, French, German, and Spanish styles.
Why visit Five Great Avenues (Wudadao)?
It's the best-preserved concession-era villa district in China, dense enough with mixed European architecture that locals call it an "expo of world buildings." Walking or cycling through gives a far more immersive sense of treaty-port Tianjin than any single museum.
How to experience it
Rent one of the horse-drawn carriages or a bike for a loop through the district, or simply walk Machang and Chongqing roads, the two avenues with the highest concentration of restored villas.
Tip
Many buildings are still private residences or offices, not open to entry — the appeal here is the streetscape itself, not going inside specific buildings.