Although Tianjin prides itself on its modernity, the city also has a 600-year history and many stories to tell.

On the first floor of the Tianjin History Museum, visitors are greeted by an enormous reclining Buddha excavated from the Mogao Grotto, measuring 7.2 m tall, 18.1 m long and 6.8 m wide. The lower level also showcases the 2008 Olympics-oriented photo exhibition Sharing Glory and Dreams.

Several special relics halls on the second floor display hundreds of historical artifacts, including all the usual suspects - calligraphic works, jade seals and ceramic pieces. Although English signage is scant, some of the more interesting exhibitions feature bilingual descriptions. These include a display of a dragon-shaped silver axe from the Song Dynasty and a Neolithic "pig dragon" jade carving.

The third-floor exhibition hall showcases Tianjin's history from the Opium War through the mid 20th century. This hall, for instance, features life-sized recreations of a scene in which three Chinese wax figures load a cannon to fire on Japanese warships. It also displays a full-sized model of a trolley and one of a small ship, as well as one of the city's first foreign-owned coffee shops.

In addition, there are hundreds of photos and other historical artifacts on display.