Tianjin, called "Jin" for short, is one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government of China. Not only is it an international harbor and economic center in the north of China, but it is also well-known for its profound historical and cultural heritage.

 

Residents of Tianjin participate in indigenous religions, such as the veneration of the goddess Mazu. In addition, Tianjin has a Buddhist Temple of Great Compassion, a Catholic St. Joseph’s Cathedral (Laoxikai Church), a Catholic Our Lady of Victory Church (Wanghailou Church). A Roman Catholic Diocese of Tianjin exists. According to the Chinese General Social Survey of 2009, Christians constitute 1.51% of the city's population. Tianjin has been described as a historically "strong center" of Islam in China. Northwestern Tianjin is traditionally the location of the Muslim quarter of the city, where they have lived for centuries near the city's huge Great Mosque, Qingzhen si, founded in 1703. Other mosques include the Dahuoxiang Mosque.

 

Church (Catholic & Christian) in Tianjin

 

Catholicism was introduced into Tianjin in the late Qing Dynasty when Tianjin was forced to be opened as a commercial port. In 1869, a French missionary built the first Catholic Church in Tianjin, N. N. Des Victoires. In 1912, the population of Catholicism believers had reached 30,000. Meanwhile, the Tianjin parish was set up. 

 

Buddhist Temples in Tianjin

 

The most famous Buddhist temple in Tianjin is Dabei Buddhist Temple. It is situated on Tianwei Road, Hebei District. The temple is also the site of Tianjin Buddhist Association. Now, the temple is comprised of two parts, the old temple and the new temple. The old temple was originally built in 1667 and rebuilt for three times in the following years. 

 

Taoist (Daoist) Temples in Tianjin

 

In recent years, there are three major Taoism branches in Tianjin: Tianshi Branch, Longmen Branch and Huashan Branch. Tianshi Branch has established many temples in Tianjin, including Tianhou Palace, Yuhuang Pavilion, Dijun Taoist Temple and Yuhuang Taoist Temple etc. Longmen Branch has the largest number of believers among all the branches of Taoism. 

 

Mosques (Masjid) in Tianjin

 

The Grand Mosque is located on Xiaohuo Lane in Hongqiao District, the northwestern part of Tianjin City. It is a fine reflection of Chinese Muslim architecture. In distinctly Chinese traditional style, this old mosque, built in 1703 during the Qing Dynasty, is well preserved and still remains in active service in the local Muslim community. 

 

Confucius Temples in Tianjin

 

The Confucius Temple is located on the street west of the Ancient Culture Street, which is situated in the northeast of Tianjin. Like many other cities with a fairly long history, Tianjin also boasts the Confucius Temple. It is one of the largest ancient complexes in Tianjin.