Tianjin

Tianjin is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. Tianjin borders Hebei Province and Beijing Municipality, bounded to the east by the Bohai Gulf portion of the Yellow Sea.
Tianjin is divided into the old city and the Binhai New Area. Binhai New Area is growing fast, with many international companies establishing branch offices. It is a base of China's advanced industry, financial reform, and innovation.
In terms of urban population, it is the sixth-largest city of the People's Republic of China. Tianjin's urban area is located along the Hai River, which connects to the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers via the Grand Canal in Tianjin. Tianjin was once home to foreign concessions in the late Qing Dynasty and early Kuomintang era.
Tianjin's climate is similar to, though slightly warmer than, its neighbour Beijing. Overall it can be described as continental; winters are cold and dry, as nights below −10°C are not uncommon, and summers are hot and humid, with days reaching above the upper 30s °C not out of the question. The best time to visit is autumn, though if you do not mind dust storms, spring would also be an excellent choice.

History

Tianjin has been trading port since historic times and used to be called "Zhigu" (直沽), or "Straight Port". In 1404, the Yongle Emperor renamed the city Tianjin, meaning "the Heavenly Ford", to indicate that the Emperor forded the river at that point.
Due to its proximity to Beijing, Tianjin was involved significantly during the Opium Wars. Many concession areas in the city were run by the European powers as well as Japan, leaving many foreign architectural reminders of their rule, notably including churches and thousands of villas.
On August 12, 2015, Tianjin was rocked by a devastating series of chemical explosions at the Port of Tianjin in the Binhai New Area. 173 people died as a result with 797 receiving non-fatal injuries.

By plane

• Tianjin Binhai International AirportIt is a second alternative to high-speed train, especially if wanting to reduce the added travel time and cost that comes associated with flying into Beijing about 120 km (75 miles) from Tianjin. The home base of Tianjin Airlines and the delightfully humble Okay Airways, domestic routes include most major Chinese cities. A few international routes are available, including destinations in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Mongolia.

Metro Line 2 connects the airport directly to Tianjin station, with a fare of just ¥3. There are also four Airport Shuttle Bus routes, and the most expensive price is ¥25. No change is given on the bus, so make sure you have exact change for the fare.

From Beijing Capital International Airport

China's main airport in Beijing is a good alternative for getting to Tianjin, especially for long distance flights from Europe or the Americas. Ticket prices inside China may be lower as well, so this option is worth checking.

• Take the Airport Express train into Beijing, the subway to Beijing South Station and the bullet train to Tianjin (see below). It takes at least 3½ hours.
• There is a direct bus between Beijing Airport and Tianjin. It should take 2½ hours but is frequently late. The bus does not go to central Tianjin, but to a bus terminal a little outside. There is a metro station nearby (Anshanxidao, Line 6). From there you can have someone pick you up, or take a taxi.

By train

, sometimes known locally as the 'East Station', is the main station in Tianjin.
It serves the bullet train to Beijing South train station. One-way tickets are ¥55 for Economy, ¥66 for Business, or ¥94 for VIP. The bullet train designation is a 'C' and takes about 33 minutes, traveling up to 300 km/h.
Metro Line 2 directly connects Tianjin Railway Station and Tianjin Airport.
There are shuttle buses between Tianjin railway station and Tianjin airport. A ticket costs ¥15 per trip. The bus stops about 200m from the train station northern gate (back gate). When you get off the shuttle bus, walk along the pavement to reach the train station.
By taxi, the fare from Tianjin railway station to Tianjin airport is about ¥50-65. Use the official taxi stand (just follow the signage)- it is advised not to use any of the touts that offer taxi services.
If leaving the station by taxi, be prepared for a production-line approach to getting the punters into taxis. Marshals keep the queue moving so have baggage ready to stow and a destination in mind or possibly be forced to go to the back of the line and wait your turn again.
serves as an intermediate station for bullet trains between Beijing South and Shanghai Hongqiao. It is far from the city center, but Metro Line 3 connects the station to the city center. Taxis here are mostly of the illegal variety, so plan accordingly.
is the terminus for trains between Tianjin West and Shanghai Hongqiao. It can be reached by Metro Line 1 and 6.
Yujiapu Station is in the middle of the new financial district in the Binhai New Area, and just a few kilometers from the Binhai Library.
Tanggu Station serves the seaside district of the same name.
The inter-city trains between Beijing and Tianjin have a number range between C2001～C2298:
C2001～C2198: From Beijing South Station to Tianjin, non-stop.
C2201～C2268: From Beijing South Station to Tianjin, with stops at Wuqing Station (武清站) or Yizhuang Station (亦庄站);
C2271～C2298: From Beijing South Station to Tanggu Station of Tianjin.

By car

Some spots in Tianjin, including roads and bridges, have names from Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People (for example, Minquan Gate on Zhonghuan Road). Names harkening back to the era of the Republic of China on the mainland also appear (e.g. Beiyang Road). Many roads in Tianjin are named after a Chinese province or city. Also, Tianjin is unlike Beijing, in that very few roads run parallel to the major four compass directions.
Tianjin has three ring roads. Unlike Beijing, the Inner and Middle Ring Roads are not closed, traffic-controlled roadways and some often have traffic light intersections. The Outer Ring Road is the closest thing to a highway-level ring road, although traffic is often chaotic and sometimes more than chaotic.

By bus

Tianjin is well connected with other cities via bus. The price from Beijing is about ¥30.
There are also two school bus lines linking Nankai and Tianjin Universities and Tsinghua University. They depart daily at 15:45 and 16:45 from Tsinghua's North-West Gate.

By boat

Tianjin is connected by passenger boat to Dalian and Incheon, South Korea.

Founded in 1904, the Tianjin bus system was the first in China, and the metro was second in the nation (1970) and today the city is well served by its public transportation. Within the city, traveling on a bus line that is less than 12 km (7 km) will cost ¥1.5, while ¥1 will cover a journey on any line over 12 kilometres, even if you travel less than 12 km (7 mi) but on a line that is over this distance, the cost is still ¥1. It's well worth your time to look up popular bus routes. Buses are comfortable and clean.
A light-rail line runs between the urban area of Zhongshanmen to the seaside area Donghailu in TEDA.

By taxi

Taxis are abundant. The minimum cost for 3 km is ¥8, (¥1.7 per km thereafter). Taxis also charge for the time while the vehicle is stationary at ¥1.7 for every five minutes (cost is exempt for less than five minutes). It is strongly recommended to avoid taxis from near the railway station. See note in the Get in-By train section above about how to avoid train station taxis. The same advice applies at tourist stops, it is best to walk a few blocks to a regular street to catch a metered taxi. Ride with illegal taxis at your own risk.
There are Tianjin tourist maps with destinations written in Chinese characters and English. Pointing at where you want to go will get you a long way with taxi drivers. It might be a good idea to take a magnifying glass along as many of the drivers have trouble with the small font.
You can rent a taxi driver for the day or even for just a few hours. The drivers are happy to wait, and the cost for two hours would be less than ¥100.
Another caution about taxis is that there are toll roads in some parts of China. In a taxi, you will be expected to pay the base fare plus the toll fee. The driver pays the toll and receives a receipt at the toll booth. At your destination, you ask for the receipt and pay that amount plus the base fare. If you are going a long way, you may also be asked to pay for the return toll fee. That is a legitimate request, although you could argue that the driver will pick up another fare to pay for the toll anyway. You may or may not succeed with the driver.
Tipping isn't common practice, as in most Chinese cities.

By metro

The municipality consists of two rapid transit systems, Tianjin Metro and Binhai Mass Transit. They are being expanded from five to nine lines. Five lines are operating in the City and the Binhai area.
As of 2018, the network of Tianjin Metro and Binhai Mass Transit has 152 stations and 6 lines.

Number & Name		Terminals	Interchange
1	Line 1	Shuanglin – Liuyuan
2	Line 2	Caozhuang – Tianjin Railway Station - Tianjin Binhai Airport
3	Line 3	High-tech Zone – Xiaodian
5	Line 5	North Warehouse – Dasizhen
6	Line 6	Dabizhuang – Liqizhuang (only Northern and Western section)
9	Line 9	Tianjin Railway Station – Donghai Road
T	TEDA Modern Guided Rail Tram	TEDA – North of College District

Buildings

• Tianjin Eye

  address: Tianjin Eye, Hongqiao (天津市红桥区天津眼)
  The world's second largest Ferris wheel and the only Ferris wheel built on the bridge in the world, Tianjin Eye has a diameter of 110 m and 64 exterior transparent hangings with 360º sightseeing. Ideal for surrounding scenery glance. A round requires 40 minutes. On the highest point, it is able to see the scenery within a radius of 40 km.

• Dabei Monastery

  address: Tianwei Road, Hebei District (河北区天纬路; Héběiqū Tiānwěilù
  This Buddhist monastery was first built in the Ming Dynasty, but has been heavily rebuilt and renovated since and now consists of the West Monastery from 1669 and the East Monastery from 1940. It is the largest and oldest in town, covering 10,600 m² (114,000 ft²). The temple houses the Tianjin Buddhist Institute and exhibits many ancient statues. The old West monastery consists of three great halls in the west yard. Construction of the old monastery started at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, and it was renovated in the eighth ruling year of Kangxi Emperor in the Qing Dynasty. The east yard features in the new monastery. The statue of Sakyamuni oblated in the Daxiong Palace from the east yard was created in the Ming Dynasty. The Sakyamuni Statue is 7 meters high, weighs 6 tons, and has 9,999 small Buddhas carved on the lotus throne. Inside the Great Compassion hall, a 3.6-meter-high mud statue of Thousand-hand Kwan-yin is oblate. The monastery was once famous for holding a skull relic of Xuanzang, but it was taken to Nalanda - allegedly by the Dalai Lama - and presented to India in 1956. The relic is now in the Patna museum. Since then, the Great Compassion monastery takes the image of Xuanzang Master instead of the spirit bones for the worship of the Buddhist. There are memorials for Xuanzang Master and Hongyi Master in the east yard, while the west yard is an office for the Cultural Relic Palace, Abbot Palace and Chinese Buddhism Association Tianjin Branch. In the Cultural Relic Palace of the west yard, there many collections from every dynasty since the Wei and Jin periods, including hundreds of Buddha statues made of various materials, from bronze, iron, and stone to wood. Vegetarian food: Dabei Great Monastery is the only monastery in Tianjin providing vegetarian food, which is good news for vegetarian visitors. Food made by the famous Tianjin Dabei Buddhist Monastery Vegetarian Food Corporation is served in the monastery. It includes Longevity Perch present basket, soybean vegetarian, muti-vitamins-calcium noodles, deepfreeze eight precious vegetarian steamed-buns and vegetarian dumplings etc.

• Confucian Temple

  address: 2 Dongmenli, Nankai District (南开区东门里大街2号; Nánkāiqū Dōngménlǐdàjiē
  Early Qing Dynasty temple with a hall to honour Confucius and other halls for prayers.

• Grand Mosque

  address: Xiaohuo Ln, Dafeng Rd, Hongqiao District (红桥区红桥区大丰路小伙巷; Hóngqiáoqū Dàfēnglù Xiǎohuǒxiàng)
  Built in 1644 and constructed in wood. The mosque is still in use by the Tianjin Muslim community. Access for tourists to the interior is limited.

• Xikai Church

  phone: +86 22 2835-8812
  address: Dushan Rd
  Built in 1917 by French Jesuits.

• Drum Tower

  address: Gulou E St, Nankai District (南开区鼓楼东街; Nánkāiqū Gǔlóudōngjiē)
  The tower was originally built in the Ming Dynasty, but was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. It was rebuilt in 2001 and now actually houses a bell and not drums. The tower is home to varying exhibitions.

• Tianjin Radio&TV Tower

  phone: +86 22 2334-3557
  address: 1 Jinzi Rd, Hexi District
  The fourth largest tower in the world. But this one might be the most spectacular as it is surrounded by water.

• Tianjin Binhai LibraryPart of the Binhai Cultural Center, it's a futuristic-looking five-level library.

Treaty port architecture

Colonial architectures and streetscapes that are a vestige of Tianjin's legacy as a treaty port. The architecture is concentrated in three main areas: Wu Da Dao (五大道), Jiefang Road North (解放北路) and the Italian Town (意大利风情旅游区) located to the west of the train station (see the previous section). All of these areas are fairly compact and flat, lending themselves well to walking tours.

• The Five Avenues

  address: Wudadao, Heping, Tianjin (和平区五大道)
  Fifth Avenue (Wudadao) is located in the south of the downtown Tianjin, a parallel street from east to west named under five cities of southwest China, namely Chongqing, Changde, Dali, Munan and Machang. Local Tianjinese call it the "Fifth Avenue", together with over 230 buildings of all kinds from the architecture of Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, as well as over 50 houses ever been lived by celebrities. Colourful architecture style range from the Renaissance, Greek, Gothic, Romantic, Eclectic, and Carson, which constitute a true fun of art. The second part is the residential area, with the first small Western-style residential area for foreign people who opened up concessions, whose residence next to the office area, close to Jiefang Road, around the former Italian concession in the east of Marco Polo Plaza. In the 20th century, due to the current situation, Tianjin's position in China had become very special and important. On one hand, social and political unrest made concessions a haven for ousted politicians and businessmen, on the other hand, Tianjin, had geographically profits for transportation and duty-free customs, was full of opportunities. Various dignitaries and rich people lived in Tianjin. Living in a small Western-style house was more comfortable and convenient than a traditional courtyard and the Fifth Avenue was located in a prime location of the British concession, thus people rushed in to build their houses here. The neighbourhood became Tianjin's rich area at that time. Tianjin was undoubtedly the first in term of the size of rich area among the affluent cities in modern China.

• Tianjin Italian Town

  address: Guangfu Dao 39, Hebei (河北区光复道39号)
  Tianjin Italian Town is also known as the Italian Concession which was built in 1902. The Italian Town was finished in 2005. It covers the area from Coast area to the Victory Road. Across the river from Italian Town lies the Ancient Culture Street, Peace Shopping and Pedestrian Street, Tianjin Financial Road, Little White CBD (小白楼) and Tianjin Municipal Government. Owning the unique location, the Italian Town is merged with different cultures. Here you can find the celebrities’ residences, chic bars, international restaurants, western art deco, etc. Among those buildings, the most famous are Liang Qichao’s Yinbin Room, Residence of Feng Guozhang, Residence of Cao Yu, Residence of Hua Shikui, First Worker Cultural Palace and Italian Military Camp. Although the Italian Town is named after a street, actually it is a small town. The center of the town is the Marco Polo Plaza. The layout of the street is shaped like a chess board. Both sides of the street are decorated with lamp lights and green trees. In addition, the well preserved fences and other ancient buildings make the town full of Italian aroma. The Free Path is the only pedestrian street in the Italian Town and most of the buildings are restaurants and bars which attracts many tourists. Most restaurateurs are from Apennines Peninsula. Here one can not only taste the real pizza, Italian pasta and other Italian aperitives, besides, he can also enjoy the Italian performances and other Italian clothes and handicraft exhibitions. There are 24-hour bars, cafés, restaurants, art museum and cinemas, attracting tourists from all over the world.

Parks

• Tianjin Haichang Polar Ocean World

  phone: +86 22-66227777
  address: Tianjin Binhai New Area Xiangluowan Business District No. 61; 天津市滨海新区响螺湾商务区第61号(Tiānjīn Bīnhǎi Xīn Qū Xiǎng Luówān Yóuxiāng Qū Qì 61 Hào)
  A large building where you can see a wide variety of fish and mammals from the northern and southern polar regions such as penguins, polar bears, whales, seals, wolves, a wide variety of marine life, etc. You can also check out the dolphin performances that they have scheduled a few times a day.

• Haihe River

  phone: +86 22 27059678 (Haihe Cruise)
  The Haihe River is one of the great rivers of northern China. North Canal, the Yongding River, Daqing River, Ziya River, South Canal, five rivers on three sides, north, west and south convergence to Tianjin.

Museums

• Garden of Serenity - Former Residence of Pu Yi, The Last Emperor of China

  phone: +86 22-27311618, +86 22-27317393
  address: 70 Anshan Road, Heping District; 和平区鞍山道70号(hépíngqū ānshāndào 9hào)
  Jingyuan Garden with a history of 80 years is a famous residence combined both Chinese and European architecture style. It is now one of the heritage sites under city protection and the important historic architecture under the special protection area of Tianjin. Built in 1921, Jingyuan Garden, also named Qianyuan Garden, was the private residence of Lu Zongyu, minister-counselor to Japan appointed by the Northern Warlords’ Government. Later it was named by Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty on July 1929 when he settled here with his wives. “Jing” means stillness in English and the Garden was named by the emperor who tried to strengthen himself with noble spirit by living in a peaceful environment. Jingyuan Garden with an area of 3360 square meters consists of three sets of courtyards, the front yard, the back yard and the side yard. The main building is a two-storied Spanish architecture. The first floor serves as a living room, a dining room, guest rooms and a kitchen, while the second floor as bedrooms, a library and a chamber. The exterior walls and balconies with projecting brims were used to add more room to the building. In front of the garden will be built a garden, in which enormous poplars, pagoda trees and cloves are planted and some ponds and pavilions are constructed. Besides, a reception office, a kitchen, a garage and a tennis court will be built on the northeast side of the garden. Jingyuan Garden integrates different architecture styles, such as Japanese and Spanish. The structure and material of gates are of typical Japanese style, simple and plain, while the low pitched roof and the detailed decoration are of obvious Spanish architecture style. The garden is now displayed following its original arrangements of furniture and adornments. And there also exhibit some paper materials and photos related with the daily life and political life of Pu Yi, the last emperor.

• Former Residence of Zhang Ailing

  address: No.61 32th British colonial street; 英租界32号路61号 Yīngzūjiè 32 hào lù 61 hào
  Early modern Chinese writer whose stories have been adapted into such films as Ang Li's "Lust, Caution". Zhang Ailing lived here for a very brief time during her early childhood years.

• Tianjin Art Gallery

• Memorial Hall of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao

  address: 9 Shui Shang Gong Yuan Xi Road, Nankai District; 天津南开区水上公园西路9号

• Former Residence and Mausoleum of Huo Yuanjia

  address: XiQing District 天津市西青区
  A large museum featuring the life of Huo Yuanjia (a historical figure played by Jet Li in the film "Fearless") and his contributions to China and Kungfu. The museum also displays a wide variety of weapons he collected. Just outside the museum is the tomb of Huo Yuanjia. Also surrounding the museum and residence is where you can find a professional wushu/kung fu school.

• China House Museum

  phone: +86 22-27123366
  address: 72 Chi Feng Road(赤峰道), He Ping District（和平区）
  A priceless building decorated with about 4,000 pieces of ancient porcelain, 400 pieces of jade stone carving, 20 tons of crystal and agate and million pieces of ancient Chinese ceramic chips. China house museum is a private museum which belongs to the Tianjin Yueweixian Cultural Industry and Investment group. It is built with more than 700,000,000 pieces of Chinese ancient porcelain; 15000 ancient porcelain bows, dishes, and vases; 300 ancient porcelain-cat pillows; 300 stone lions; 300 marble sculptures; more 20 tons natural crystal, etc. Inside the museum there are 4 floors, filled with Chinese ancient furniture, woodcarving, etc. All the exhibits are collected by the chairman of the museum, Zhang Lianzhi. The Porcelain House is located in a bustling area, close to the former residence of Zhang Xueliang, an instigator of the Xi’an incident and a patriotic hero in China. Built as a 100-year-old French style villa, the residence is a five-storied building with a total area of 3,000 square meters. Porcelain used to decorate the house can date back to the Han Dynasty. Visitors can almost find every type of chinaware from the house, which perfectly combines traditional Chinese architecture and western architecture. On the roof of the house is embedded a 768-meter-long dragon relief made by over ten thousand pieces of porcelain and an eye-catching English word, ‘China’, with some Chinese characters and the flag of China on both sides. Inside the house there are many famous paintings comprised by ceramic chips, including the world famous painting, Mona Lisa. Besides, the walls of the house are named the ‘peace wall’, consisting of 635 vases made during Republic China and the late Qing Dynasty.

• Tianjin Museum

  phone: +86 22 83883000
  address: 62 Pingjiang Road, Hexi District (河西区平江道62号)
  Tianjin Museum has modern exhibition halls with an area of 11,000 square meters as well as cultural and leisure facilities with multiple functions. It looks like a swan spreading its wings to fly from the lake surface. With fluent and concise exterior line, it is full of modernity and artistic quality. All of these make it characteristic and imaginative. It possesses cultural relics of almost 200,000 items, including calligraphy, painting, bronze, ceramics, jade article, stamp of ruler’s seal, carapace bone, coin, historical document, relics of modern times, folk craftwork and so on. Among them, there are nearly 1000 grade one cultural relics of the state.

• Tianjin Museum of Science and Technology

• Tianjin Natural History Museum

• Tianjin Opera Museum

Streets and areas

• Ancient Cultural Street

  address: Gongbei Ave-Gongnan Ave, Nankai District (南开区 宫北大街-宫南大街; Nánkāiqū Gōngběidàjiē-Gōngnándàjiē)
  Street not only lined with shops and cafes but also with interesting architecture, including lots of copies of Qing Dynasty buildings. Some of the most interesting buildings are Tianhou Palace (天后宫; Tiānhòugōng; Mazu temple), Yuhuang Cabinet (玉皇阁; Yùhuánggé; Ming Dynasty building) and Tongqingli (large residential building). Tin Hau (Matsu Temple) located in the centre of the whole street. There are nearly hundreds of stores along the street, among them Yangliuqing painting gallery and painted clay sculpture of Clay Figure Zhang are most famous, as well as calligraphy and painting brushes(文房四宝) of Four Treasures and Spring Church, cultural antiques of Sui Man Chai and cloisonne (景泰蓝), double-sided embroidery (双面绣), jade carvings (牙玉雕), art ceramics (艺术陶瓷), Chinese and Western musical instruments and gold and silver jewelry from other dozens of famous artists and craftmen.

• Gulou Street

  address: Gulou West Street-Gulou E St, Nankai District (南开区 鼓楼西街-鼓楼东街; Nánkāiqū Gǔlóuxījiē-Gǔlóudōngjiē)
  Ancient cultural street full of cheap and tasty cafes.

• Jiefang Road NorthRunning north-south a couple of streets back from the River Hai, this street is where colonial banks built their branches in Tianjin during the treaty-port era and will definitely be of interest to those interested in colonial architecture or history. Many of the buildings have been retained and are well-preserved, giving the street a distinctly European feel. No longer the central business district, it isn't a very busy street, with noticeably less car and pedestrian traffic than other parts of the city, making it a good place to spend a couple of hours wandering. Most of the buildings now house local Chinese banks so feel free to have a look inside (though staff may object to photography) at the interiors, many of which feature original wooden panelling and stained glass. Also on the street is the 'Chinese Museuum of Finance' which is home to several interesting financial artifacts, including the only share certificate in existence featuring a picture of Mao Zedong.

• Heping RoadOne of the busiest shopping precincts in Tianjin.

• Machang DaoLined with large English style homes, another cultural street in Tianjin.

• Binjiang DaoEnormous street with block upon block of stalls and shops containing almost anything you may need.

• Binhai DistrictThe 183 km² Binhai New District holds three administrative areas: Tanggu, Hangu and Dagang, as well as some towns.

Further away

• Huangyaguan Great Wall

  phone: +86 22 22718718
  address: 30 km north of Jixian
  Huangya, means "yellow cliff". The pass takes this name from the yellowish hills and rocks nearby. Originally built in Tianbao 7th of Beiqi (557 AD), the Huangyanguan was repaired for the first time in Ming Dynasty with bricks and for the second time in 1985. In 1986 it was listed as a key relics protection target of Tianjin city. Now it is also chosen as a patriotic education and national defense education base of Tianjin. Besides, starting form 1999, there is going to be a special tourism activity there-International Field Marathon.With various forms of water towers presented along the walls, and the largest tower of the Great Wall "PhoenixTower" and the most unique "BaguaguanCastle", Huangyaguan Great Wall is like a library of the Great Wall. By now 3025 m of the Huangyaguan Great Wall, 20 water towers and a water pass have been repaired. This section has several features: Strong: With its walls and towers built on mountain ridge with an average altitude of 738 m, the Huangyaguan is really overwhelming. To the east there is the cliff, and the west, crags. It winds its way across mountains like a dragon. Guarding a stronghold, it has been the north entrance of Jinxian. Thrilling: On the mountains with peaks rising one higher than another, the Great wall jumps its way up and down as a linkage between the cliff and crags. Since the mountain is sloppy, the steps are very high. In some sections, it looks like that the wall is running straight up or down. When you look down, you will feel dizzy at the sight. Beautiful: On Huangyaguan, you will be able to enjoy both mountain scenery and waterfalls and springs. Ancient: With a history of over 1400 years, the ancient walls was first build in Beiqi, and reserved well until today. In Ming Dynasty, it was added with walls made of bricks. How to get there: There are tourist buses available every weekend at the Northeast Bus Station of Tianjin and there are also buses available from the Tianjin Railway Station, but fewer. Worth a visit for its water run-off controls, well-preserved Great Wall of China towers, challenging hiking and striking scenery.

• Eight Immortals Mountain

• Nine Dragon Mountain

• Dule Temple

• Dagu Fort

• Chaoyin temple (潮音寺) The Chaoyin Temple was built on 1404 (Ming Dynasty). It used to be called Nanhaidasi Temple or Shuangshan Temple. It faces the Haihe River Mouth at Dagu and is one the few temples that faces east. It is the only cultural relics in the south of Tanggu District that opens to outside world.

Culture

People from urban Tianjin speak Tianjin dialect, which comes under the Mandarin subdivision of spoken Chinese. Despite its proximity to Beijing, Tianjin dialect sounds quite different from Beijing dialect, which provides the basis for Putonghua, the official spoken language of the People's Republic of China.
Tianjin is a respected home base of Beijing opera, one of the most prestigious forms of Chinese opera.
Tianjin is famous for its Xiangsheng (相声) stand up comic crosstalk and comedians including Guo Degang and Ma Sanli. Ma Sanli (马三立) (1914–2003), an ethnic Hui and longtime resident of Tianjin, is renowned for his xiangsheng, a hugely popular form of Chinese entertainment similar to comedy. Ma Sanli delivered some of his xiangsheng in the Tianjin dialect. Tianjin, along with Beijing, is a center for the art of xiangsheng.
Yangliuqing (Green Willows), a town about 15 km west of Tianjin's urban area and the seat of Tianjin's Xiqing District, is famous for its popular Chinese New Year-themed, traditional-style, Yangliuqing colourful wash paintings (杨柳青年画). Tianjin is also famous for Zhang's clay figurines (泥人张) which are a type of colourful figurine depicting a variety of vivid characters, and Tianjin's Wei's kites (风筝魏), which can be folded to a fraction of their full sizes, are noted for portability.

Worship

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 Tianjin Jewish Synagoge and a Roman Catholic Diocese of Tianjin.

• Fanta Wild Adventure

  address: No.4888, Zhongsheng Ave, Binhai District 天津市滨海新区中新生态城中生大道4888号
  In case your kids want to go to a theme park.

• Panshan Ski Area

  address: Jizhou District
  A dilapidated ski park for beginners to experience snow sports for the first or second time.There are several bunny hills strewn with the bodies of fallen beginners slow to pick themselves up, posing serious collision hazards. Entrance and ski equipment rental costs only RMB 5. If you need clothing, gloves goggles, helmet, or an instructor, rental costs will be charged and deducted from the RMB 200 entrance deposit. Snowboard rental costs RMB 50. Located in the outer lying north of Tianjin and about 2 hours from Beijing.

Tianjin has both modern shopping malls and distinctive traditional stores, for shopping delight. Binjiang Dao Business Street and Heping Lu Business Street are the busiest and most prosperous shopping centres in Tianjin. Most of the top shopping malls or department stores can be found on these two streets. Optionally, buy a good translator. Also, most restaurants have a picture menu where you can point and order. You could also learn the hand gestures for numbers that sellers and buyers occasionally use for negotiating. Always carry a pen and paper too.
There are other large shopping districts where only local people shop. You will be a novelty in those areas, but you do not need to be nervous. You will probably get some great deals because even the inflated tourist prices in Tianjin are half what they are in Beijing. Add in some friendly bargaining, and you will feel like the Champion Shopper of the World!

• Binjiang Dao Business StreetThe most famous shopping district.

• The Ancient Cultural StreetHas a lot of souvenirs and trinkets, but you must know (or learn) how to bargain. A small silk handbag is worth ¥12-20; a set of 4-6 chopstick sets is worth about ¥50-60 in Beijing and about ¥35-45 in Tianjin; large dolls are worth about ¥80-120 depending on how excited you seem to the seller.

• Shenyang Dao Antique MarketBiggest antiques market in China, this is a place that is a must see on any travelers list. Shenyang Dao Antique Market is filled with all kinds of shops selling porcelain items, paintings, gold, silver, copper, jade, etc.

Tianjin is also famous for the following products:

• Buy tea from the best at the many authentic Chinese tea houses in Tianjin.
• Tianjin is famous for its high quality ceramics. These are a great souvenir to take home.

Tianjin cuisine places a heavy focus on seafood, due to Tianjin's proximity to the sea. Prominent menus include the Eight Great Bowls (八大碗), a combination of eight mainly meat dishes. It can be further classified into several varieties, including the rough (粗), smooth (细), and high (高). The Four Great Stews (四大扒) actually refers to a very large number of stews, including chicken, duck, seafood, beef, and mutton.
Tianjin also has several famous snack items. Goubuli Baozi (狗不理包子) is a famous and traditional brand of Baozi(steamed stuffed bun) that is famous throughout China. Guifaxiang Mahua (桂发祥麻花) is a traditional brand of mahua (fried dough twist). Erduoyan Zhagao (耳朵眼炸糕) is a traditional brand of Zhagao, or fried rice cakes.

• Goubuli

  phone: +86 22 2730-2540
  address: 77 Shandong Rd, Heping District (和平区山东路77号; Hépíngqū Shāndōnglù)
  Tianjin style steamed buns restaurant also serving other dishes.

• DaFuLai

  address: a few branches in the city
  Locals all know and love DaFuLai. It serves halal breakfast. According to legend, Empire Qianlong once visited this noshery in Tianjin, and at that time it mainly sold pancake. After having the pancake, the emperor asked for some soup. The hostess was unprepared, and she broke a pancake into small pieces, added boiled water, spices and seasoning. The emperor liked the taste, and gave the dish a name: GuoBaCai 锅巴菜, or GaBaCai 嘎巴菜, which it is named locally. After the emperor left, his retinue told the hostess: "Your luck has come. (Da Fu Lai = Big Luck Come)" Since then, DaFuLai's GuoBaCai has become one of the most popular breakfast dishes in Tianjin. While you might not appreciate the taste (many Chinese from other area do not like it either), DaFuLai is a very good place for people-watching, since almost all the customers there are local. Besides GuoBaCai, the tofu soup is also good (and sells fast). Expect to share table with others.

• Sheraton Hotel

  phone: +86 22 2334-3388
  address: Zijinshan Rd, Hexi District
  Fine dining available at one of three top quality restaurants available onsite.

• Bawarchi

  phone: +86 22 2341-2786
  address: 3/F Shanggu Business Complex West Building, 69 Tianta Rd, Nankai District
  Great Indian food, cooked in a traditional Indian tandoor clay oven by Indian chefs.

• Helen's Cafe

  address: Heping District, He Yan Dao Number 116, (Close to Qixiangtai Lu and the Wu Jia Yao Number 2 Bridge); Tiānjīn shì hépíng qū hé yándào 116 hào (wú jiā yáo 2 hào qiáo páng); 天津市和平区河沿道116号（吴家窑2号桥旁）
  An excellent place to eat simple western food like hamburgers, fries, and pizzas. During the day, it is a nice and quiet place to study while you eat lunch. At night time, it's a very lively place for foreign expats to get drunk. Free Wi-Fi is available.

• QishilinWestern food with good reputation.

• YY Beer House

  phone: +86 22 2339-9634
  address: 3 Aomen Rd, Heping District
  A great inexpensive Thai restaurant offering a wide selection of beers. A great place to visit during the Thai Water Splashing festival in the spring!

• Aulare Urban Latin Restaurant

  phone: +86 187 2229 0691
  address: Magnetic Plaza Building A4 2-16
  At Aulare, you can experience Latin, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and South and Central American flavors.

• Kudos Thai

  phone: +86 22 23329988
  address: 88 Chengdu Rd, Heping District
  Well decorated Thai restaurant where the environment is cozy and modern. All food is authentically made by a Thai chef, without MSG or artificial additives. They've got a beautiful yard and nice terrace with a good view.

• Amazon Brazilian B.B.Q. Bar

  phone: +86 22 8319-1098
  address: 189 Nanjing Rd, Heping District
  Does exactly what it says on the tin and has an enthusiastic, if slightly kitschy Filipino band providing live music as you munch.

• Alli Baba

  phone: +86 22 2351-3976
  address: 2 Hutong, Tongan Rd, Nankai University
  Featuring international cuisine and foreign student clientele close to the Nankai University campus, which has a whole range of dishes such as pasta, pizza, salad, etc.

There are a number of expat bars catering to the visiting business community, most of which can be a little expensive (¥25 upwards for a small bottle of beer) so if you like something a bit more laid back and comfortable.
As far as clubs go, Tianjin is a big university city both for Chinese and foreign students so there are lots of places for dancing. The music policy tends to be mostly Western and Chinese dance, pop and hip hop/R&B, so if you have more alternative tastes in music, the clubs are possibly not for you!

• Sitong Bar

  phone: +86 22 23377177
  Basement of Olympic Hotel, rather nice environment with good service. It is the most cosmopolitan music bar of Tianjin, best DJ´s after 22:00 combined with best music from filipino band.The best place for meet interesting people. Have become the only place people go. The Filipino band, Barman Fire Works and if everydays Good DJ music is present.

• Alibaba

  address: Nameless lane, Opposite Bengon's, Tongan Dao, Heping District (和平区同安道兵果士对面无名的小街; Hépíngqū Tóngāndào Bīngguǒshìduìmiàn Wúmíngdexiǎojiē)
  Comes in a close second to Jim’s. Good Western food, cheap beer and table football. There is also a newly constructed Number 10 Downing Street themed private dining room for hire at the back. Also provides free internet access.

• The Tavern

  phone: +86 22 2341-9696
  address: Joy Business Center, Bldg B, 3F
  More up-market and therefore slightly more pricey but a great place to hang out nonetheless. Run by the ever-welcoming British-born Aussie, David, they have a good selection of draught beers and live music.

• Rainbow Pub

  address: 12 Yanhe Rd, Hexi District (河西区沿河路12号; Héīqū Yánhélù)
  Very similar to pubs you might find in an English suburban town except the clientele are predominately Chinese. There is also a very kitsch Filipino band in residence here. Great fun and unpretentious to the end. Has recently received some very poor reviews by expats in Tianjin.

• Scarlet

  address: 155 Weijin Lu
  This is a nice, pretty upscale dance club. There are a lot of Europeans as well as Chinese people that hang out here. Every Friday and Saturday they have open bar for ¥80, but there is a special restaurant and bar on the 2nd and 19th floors. Go through the main entrance on the 3rd floor and ask anyone that works there (a lot of them speak English) for directions or take the lift.

• New York Bar

  address: Weijin Road
  Was one of the hits in Tianjin 2-3 years ago. But soon went down because of the DJ's who played there.

• The Spot Café

  phone: +86 22 27837104
  address: Heping District, Nanfu Fang Dajie
  An American-owned coffee house providing great coffees, teas, and pastries, as well as a variety of art and cultural events on a regular basis.

Budget

• Tianjin Starway Champagne Town Hotel

  phone: +86 22 58829999
  address: 82 Yingkou Road (Yingkou Dao)
  It is located in downtown Tianjin, adjacent to the bustling Binjiang Dao Commercial Street and within easy reach of many popular stores and shopping centres. Guests can be whisked away to the airport using the airport shuttles departing from the hotel square.

• Yangliuqing Manor

  phone: +86 22 27921666
  address: The outskirts of the city, in Yangliuqing, 20km from Beijintong road, near Ziya River (近郊杨柳青镇北津同公路20公里处 近子牙河)

• Tianjin Jinluan Hotel

  phone: +86 22 58996648
  address: 268 Jintang Road (Jintang Gonglu)
  The Tianjin Jinluan Hotel (Tianjin Jinluan Jiudian) is a courtyard style hotel located on Jintang Road, 500 m from a light rail station and close to large supermarkets and banks.

Mid-range

• Astor Hotel

  phone: +86 22 2331-1688
  address: 33 Taierzhuang Rd
  Regarded as a major national historical relic preservation project. It combines British classic architectural style with modern amenities. It is comprised of two wings, be sure to check out one of the rooms in the old wing for a true Old World experience. The lobby can pass as a history museum lined with murals, plaques and other interesting finds.

• Holiday Inn Tianjin Riverside

  phone: +86 4008825398
  address: Phoenix Commercial Plaza Block A, Haihe East Road, Hebei District, near Jinhai Road (河北区海河东路凤凰商业广场A座 近金海道)

• Dickson Hotel

  address: 18 Binshui Ave
  Four-star hotel located in an ideal location, within easy access to the business and entertainment areas. The hotel provides Chinese and Western cuisine as well as offering a gym, jacuzzi and gift shop.

• Somerset Olympic Tower Tianjin

  phone: +86 22 2335 5888
  address: No 126 Chengdu Dao, Heping District
  Close to the Central Business District and surrounded by streets with restaurants, shops and entertainment. Ranging from one to three bedrooms.

• Tianjin Crystal Palace Hotel

  phone: +86 22 2835-6888
  address: 28 Youyi Rd, Hexi District
  You will not be able to miss this hotel, which looks like two beached cruise ships butted up against a lake. Has a good variety of features and amenities, but its location is a bit out of the way from downtown.

• Tianjin First Hotel

  phone: +86 22 3309988
  address: 158 Jie Fang N Rd
  Built in 1922, the rooms have high ceilings and a bit of a classic feel. In room internet can be had for ¥10 per day. Staff English ability is a bit low.

Splurge

• Renai Tuanbohu Spa Hotel

  phone: +86 22 68578888
  address: (近郊静海县团泊新城津王公路 近团泊湖)

• The Westin Tianjin

  phone: +86 22 23890088
  address: Nanjing Road 101, Heping District 和平区南京路101号

• Hyatt Regency Tianjin

  phone: +86 22 23301234
  address: 219 Jiefang N Rd

• Renaissance Tianjin

  phone: +86 22 2302-6888
  address: 105 Jianshe Rd, Heping District
  Offering deluxe accommodations and superior facilities, it has a pool and fitness centre and meeting facilities.

• Sheraton Hotel

  phone: +86 22 2334-3388
  address: Zijinshan Rd, Hexi District
  The Sheraton provides luxurious relaxation in every one of its 296 rooms.

• Teda International Club

  phone: +86 22 2300-5555
  address: 7-2 Fukang Rd, Nankai District
  International 5-star hotel that is nicely decorated and equipped with modern facilities. All rooms are equipped with air-conditioning, satellite TV, IDD telephone, internet access, mini bar and 24-hour room service.

• Shangri-La Hotel Tianjin

  phone: +86 22 84188888
  address: No. 328 Haihe East Road, Hedong District
  Luxury hotel in the heart of Tianjin's Hedong District.

• The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin

  phone: +86 22 58578888
  address: No 167 Dagubei Road, Heping District
  Elegant five-star hotel in the Heping District of Tianjin.

• Pan Pacific Tianjin

  phone: +86 22 5863 8888
  address: No. 1 Zhang Zi Zhong Road, Hongqiao District
  Stylish hotel from the Pan Pacific chain in the Hongqiao District.

Tianjin is known to be as safe as any city in China.
Generally you do not have to concern about personal safety in China if you just follow the basics you would at home. Girls generally say they are happy to walk anywhere in the main city areas where there are lights. But if you come out of a night club drunk, you are an obvious target.

• There are several pedestrian bridge crossing but few tunnel crossings like Beijing. Many people cross at traffic lights or zebra crossing. But generally especially since the roads are wide and new due to recent construction, road crossing should be done with care.
• Make sure your cab driver turns on the meter. Many try to take a foreigner to their destination and over charge them. If they do not turn it on either ask them to stop and get a new cab or refuse to pay at the end. Cheating Hotline: +86 22 23549000
• Being a new train station, there is a bit of confusion when getting out of the Tianjin Station to your next connection. There is a taxi and bus hub. At the same time, there are many offering transport or day tours. It is illegal and it is better to wait until you find a travel agency or use the public bus or meter taxi to get to your next destination. If you really want to get one, the price is generally below ￥30 to the downtown.

Emergency hotlines

• Fire: 119
• First aid: 120
• Police:110
• Traffic Accident: 122
• Counterfeit Crime: 12333

• Tianjin Balitai Post Office (天津八里台), Weijin Rd, No. 215 District (Opposite The Gate of Nankai University), 23378621.

Though credit and debit cards are gradually becoming more widely accepted at department stores and supermarkets most stores and all attractions still operate on a cash-only basis and only the very largest or most expensive shops accept foreign credit cards. It's generally best to ensure that you have a decent amount of cash on hand when going out. ATMs are located at virtually all bank branches, and most (though not all) of the large banks now accept foreign debit or credit cards. Bank of China branches all have the ability to take cards from foreign banks, and most offer English instructions. For more advanced financial transactions (converting currency or travellers checks, for instance) the best places to go are the Bank of China branch.

• Industrial and Commercial Bank of China

  phone: +86 22 28192329
  address: Dagu Lu 1040, Hexi, near East Garden, University of Science and Technology(天津市河西区大沽路1040号,科技大学旁东花园底墒)

• China CITIC Bank

  phone: +86 22-26012807
  address: Jinwei Lu Road 28, Hebei (天津市河北区金纬路28号)

• Beijing, the nation's capital is close by
• Qinghuangdao, a seaside resort town at the end of the Great Wall