Tianjin (天津市) is a provincial-level administrative region under the direct administration of central government, one of the nine National Central Cities, and one of China’s mega-cities. The city has 16 districts under its jurisdiction, with a total area of 11916.85 square kilometers, a built-up area of 1007.91 square kilometers, a resident population of 15.5 million with an urban population of 12.9 million.
Tianjin is located in northern China with the Bohai Sea in the east. It is located at the confluence of five major tributaries of the Haihe River. It is located 155km by road from Beijing while also being connected by High Speed Rail.
Tianjin is the main node of the China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor, the strategic fulcrum of the Maritime Silk Road, the “Belt and Road” intersection, the nearest eastern starting point of the Asia-Europe Continental Bridge, and the largest port city in northern China.
Tianjin, officially established in 1404, has always been an important transportation hub. After the middle of the Tang Dynasty, it became a hub for grain and silk transportation. The Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) set up Zhigu Village as a military outpost and during the Yuan Dynasty, it became a grain transfer center. During the Ming Dynasty in 1404, the city was officially built, and it is the only city in ancient China to have a record of the exact time of its establishment.
Attractions in Tianjin
AAAAA Attractions
Mount Pan (“Panshan Scenic Area”) (天津盘山风景名胜区)
Guwenhua Jie (“Ancient Culture Street”) (古文化街)
AAAA Attractions
| Scenic spot name | Chinese Name |
|---|---|
| Tianjin Baocheng Museum | 天津宝成博物苑 |
| Tianjin Yangliuqing Museum (Shijia Courtyard) | 天津杨柳青博物馆（石家大院） |
| Tianjin Binhai Aircraft Carrier Theme Park | 天津滨海航母主题公园 |
| Tianjin Huangyaguan Great Wall Scenic Resort | 天津黄崖关长城风景游览区 |
| Dule Temple, Ji County, Tianjin | 天津蓟县独乐寺 |
| Tianjin Tianta Lake Scenic Area | 天津天塔湖风景区 |
| Tianjin Water Park | 天津水上公园 |
| Tianjin Tropical Botanical Garden | 天津热带植物观光园 |
| Tianjin Eye Ferris Wheel | 天津之眼摩天轮 |
| Tianjin Haichang Polar Ocean World | 天津海昌极地海洋世界 |
| Tianjin Italian Style District | 天津意式风情区 |
| Tianjin Beining Park | 天津北宁公园 |
| Tianjin Dagukou Fort Site | 天津大沽口炮台遗址 |
| Tianjin Limutai Scenic Area | 天津梨木台景区 |
| Tianjin Happy Valley | 天津欢乐谷 |
| Tianjin Five Avenue Tourist Area | 天津五大道旅游区 |
| Tianjin Dongjiang Bay Scenic Area | 天津东疆湾景区 |
Accommodation
My picks for the top places to stay in Tianjin that are foreigner freindly with great location and English service.
St. Regis Tianjin
Courtyard by Marriott Tianjin Hongqiao
Liuyue Capsule Hotel
Tianjin Map
Transportation
Railway
Tianjin is not only at the junction of the two traditional railway trunk lines: Beijing-Shanghai Railway and Jinshan Railway, but also at the intersection of Beijing-Shanghai High Speed Railway, Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, Tianjin-Qinhuangdao Passenger Dedicated Line, and Tianjin-Bus Passenger Dedicated Line.
High speed rail stations are Tianjin Station (天津站), Tianjin South Railway Station (天津南站), Tianjin West Railway Station (天津西站), Junliangcheng North Station (军粮城北站), Wuqing Station (武清站), Binhai Station (滨海站), Binhai West Station (滨海西站), and Binhai North Station (滨海北站).
Airports
The Tianjin Binhai International Airport (天津滨海国际机场) is located in Dongli District, Tianjin, about 13 kilometers from Tianjin city center and 134 kilometers from Beijing. It is a domestic trunk airport, international airport, national first-class airport, and one of China’s major air cargo centers. It is a hub for Air China Tianjin Branch, Tianjin Airlines, Okay Aviation, Xiamen Airlines, and Galaxy International Cargo.
Metro line 2 connects directly with the airport and a taxi to the central area will cost around 80 yuan.
Tianjin Metro
Metro map (click for larger version)
Current Lines and lines under construction
| Line number | Beginning and end station | Beginning and end station | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tianjin Metro Line 1 | Liu Yuan | Li Lou | already opened Construction of Dongyan Project started and has opened to Lilou Station |
| Tianjin Metro Line 2 | Caozhuang | Binhai International Airport | already opened |
| Tianjin Metro Line 3 | South Station | Koyodo | already opened |
| Tianjin Metro Line 4 | Southeast corner | Xinxing Village | under construction |
| Tianjin Metro Line 5 | Beichen Science Park North | The First Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine | already opened |
| Tianjin Metro Line 6 | Nansunzhuang | Meilin Road | already opened |
| Tianjin Metro Line 7 | Koyodo Kita | Saida Eight Branch Road | planning |
| Tianjin Metro Line 8 | Saltwater | Zhangjiawo | planning |
| Tianjin Metro Line 9 ( Jinbin Light Rail ) |
Tianjin Station | Donghai Lu | already opened |
| Tianjin Metro Line 10 | East Island | Yutai | under construction |
| Tianjin Metro Line 11 | Xinkou | Liujing Lu | Under construction [26] |
| Tianjin Metro Line 12 | Zhao Zhuang | Big temple | planning |
| Tianjin Metro Line 13 | Zhangjiawo | Airport Industrial Park | planning |
Landmark buildings in Tianjin
The Tianjin Tower (津塔): Tianjin’s new landmark building, with a height of 336.9 meters. It features an observation deck at 305.2 metres.
Drum Tower (鼓楼): Located in the center of the old city of Tianjin.
Jinwan Plaza (津湾广场): Located in the Financial Street area of Jiefang Road, Heping District, it is one of the 20 major service industry projects in Tianjin and a landmark area of Tianjin Financial City.
Tianjin Radio & Television Tower – Sky Tower (天塔): Sky Tower has a total height of 415.2 meters and covers an area of 300 acres. It is the fourth tallest tower in the world and the second tallest in Asia. It also has an observation deck at 200-meters.
Eye of Tianjin (天津之眼): The Eye of Tianjin is the Yongle Bridge Ferris Wheel, the only Ferris wheel built on the bridge in the world. The Ferris wheel is 110 meters in diameter, with 64 360-degree transparent cockpits mounted on the outside of the wheel. Each cockpit can seat 8 people.
Tianjin Specialty foods
Tianjin cuisine is heavily influenced by Beijing cuisine, due to its proximity, but differs by being sweeter, and focused on seafood.
Famous snacks are Goubuli (狗不理包子) is a famous and traditional brand of baozi (steamed buns with filling) that is famous throughout China. Guifaxiang (桂发祥麻花) is a traditional brand of mahua (twisted dough sticks). Erduoyan (耳朵眼炸糕) is a traditional brand of fried rice cakes.
A popular destination for foodies is Nanshi Food Street (南市食品街) which features over 100 stalls in one location.
Climate
The annual average temperature in Tianjin is about 14 ° C. It is the hottest in July and the monthly average temperature is 28 ° C. The highest temperature in history is 41.6 ° C. January is the coldest month with an average monthly temperature of -2 ° C. The historical minimum temperature was -17.8 ° C. The average annual precipitation is between 360-970 mm, and the average (1949-2010) is around 600 mm.
There are four distinct seasons
- spring – windy, dry and little rain – Av. 16 °C – late March to June
- summer – hot with concentrated rain – Av. 28 °C – June to August
- autumn – moderate and comfortable – Av. 16 °C – August to October
- winter – cold, dry, and snow – Av. -4 °C – October to March
Economy
In 2018, Tianjin’s gross domestic product (GDP) was 1,809.9 billion yuan, an increase of 3.6% over the previous year. The region has a per capita GDP of 120,606 yuan which is the third-highest in the country.
Major industries include petrochemical industries, textiles, car manufacturing, mechanical industries, and metalworking. Major manufacturers here include EADS Airbus who opened an assembly plant for its Airbus A320 series here. Tianjin is also home to the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin and the Tianhe 1A.
The Tianjin Binhai New Area (滨海新区) is a national reform pilot area based on high-level modern manufacturing and R & D transformation base, a northern international shipping center and an international logistics center, and a livable ecological new urban area. It is also the location of the Tianjin Free Trade Zone and Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City.