Tang canal rises as a glowing destination

The boat glides slowly along the Tangjin Canal, a waterway that once connected the industrial cities of Tangshan in Hebei province and Tianjin. On either side, hundreds of Tang Dynasty-styled lanterns rise in formation, their crimson glow chasing away the last chill of an April evening as it illuminates the countless bricks and latticed windows lining the streets.

A massive Ferris wheel with playful expressions flashing across its digital screen looms ahead. The air is filled with the distant melody of Pingju Opera, a centuries-old folk tradition born in this very region.

For a moment, it is easy to believe you have traveled back in time to the Tang Dynasty (618-907), an era celebrated as the golden age of Chinese art, culture and cosmopolitan ambition.

But this is not Xi'an in Shaanxi province, the ancient capital most associated with the Tang. It is Hetou Laojie (Hetou Old Street), a water town in the city, better known as a cradle of China's modern industrial revolution.

And, just a few years ago, this waterway was silent.

"Please lower your head," boat guide Shi Jia gently cautions her guests as the vessel approaches a low bridge adorned with a glowing light belt.

It is a practical safety reminder. But for the creative team behind the old street, it has become something of a metaphor.

After more than a decade of lying "low" as a lackluster commercial project, this place has raised its head, blossoming into one of the most dazzling nighttime tourism destinations in the province.

In 2025, the street welcomed 8 million visitors, with a single day reaching 166,000. On a typical Monday night in April, the street is crowded with travelers as if it were a holiday.

Since opening in 2023, it has been recognized as a national tourist and leisure street and received the 2025 China Cultural Tourism Pioneer Award from the China Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions.

The 2,000-mu (133-hectare) site is the result of a partnership between the Fengnan district government and Kaige'er Group, a local cultural tourism enterprise. It now offers a fully immersive Tang experience, where visitors can eat, stroll, shop, and watch performances in a meticulously re-created historical atmosphere.

As the boat continues its journey, passengers pass multiple performance installations along the banks, where singers, dancers, acrobats, and actors in Tang-era costumes create vivid scenes that unfold as a scroll painting brought to life.

"The performers are inheritors of intangible cultural heritage, and they perform to audiences' reactions," Shi emphasizes.

She often recommends her guests stay for a short Pingju Opera performance, which originated from Tangshan.

In addition to the dynamic performance, the giant lanterns are eye-catching, each standing about 7 meters tall and featuring patterns from The Court Ladies Adorning Their Hair with Flowers, a Tang Dynasty painting now housed in the Liaoning Provincial Museum.

About half an hour's drive from Hetou Old Street, Tangshan Feast, also known as the Tangshan Food Culture Museum, pleases the palate of even the most discerning gourmand.

The 40,000-square-meter indoor complex features 150 varieties of Tangshan snacks and more than 20 types of foods crafted with intangible cultural heritage skills, all spread across "five streets, two alleys, and one river" on its ground floor.

"Tangshan Feast is what we call 'an edible museum'," says Wang Caitong, a guide at the complex.

"It was originally a disused shopping mall. The creative team reshaped the space and built a 'super scene' with cultural tourism appeal- small bridges, flowing water, pavilions, towers, and the hustle and bustle of traffic," she adds.