People watch a cross talk show at the Celebrities Tea House in Tianjin, April 25, 2017. (Photo by Li Ping/chinadaily.com.cn)
4. Cross talk tea houses
For Tianjin locals, sitting in a tea house enjoying cross talk shows while eating sunflower seeds and sipping tea is a common form of entertainment at night.
The Mingliu Tea House, also known as the Celebrities Tea House, is one of such a kind, covering cross talk performances every day.
The entertainment hub was first built in 1991, and was schemed and designed by the wife of a Chinese literary giant, Lao She. The plaque of the teahouse was also personally inscribed by Ma Sanli, a famous Chinese crosstalk artist.
If you go:
Xinhua Road branch: 177 Xinhua Road, Heping district. 022-27116382
Ancient Cultural Street branch: 2F, Main Street of the Ancient Culture Street, Nankai district.022-27286420
Duolun Road branch: 1F, Tongfang Garden, Duolun Road, Heping district. 022-27301458
Ticket: 80 yuan ($12)