Tianjin Binhai International Airport is located in the east of the urban area, in Dongli District, which is only 15 km (9 miles) to the east of the urban area. It 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 -- just some 120 km (75 miles) from Tianjin. The city will also be served by the new Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, currently under construction and to be completed by 2017.
Domestic routes include [wiki=a2c411fe0ae4a4aea3b4f704c6770517]Changchun[/wiki], [wiki=4781886690b72bcfaadebed7f965a609]Changsha[/wiki], [wiki=68ee6348a1dec7153905f5652b480a95]Changzhou[/wiki], [wiki=f4aa575f70b3f78887deb96ce611b187]Chengdu[/wiki], [wiki=01488003377526cf361dd53279f0dd39]Chifeng[/wiki], [wiki=8fdb920993402e1ede3c311e256f2bfd]Dalian[/wiki], [wiki=50a13d0dbb195487a4b6c602ea0fe532]Guangzhou[/wiki], [wiki=cc94b6a207d65b12ae5067f7a630688f]Guilin[/wiki], [wiki=5db223f56468090601bf0e6d3d1fca01]Haikou[/wiki], [wiki=95e9c48630a252346b29cd52b365d3e2]Hangzhou[/wiki], [wiki=73fd77c513b4a6aa081850cd86a7d0c4]Harbin[/wiki], [wiki=303e4ca8c8e052424f95a7e4493314fb]Hefei[/wiki], [wiki=f6dbb43ecdf6186e9d33c7bef2ee271f]Hohhot[/wiki], [wiki=080fa4ae8318b4cc0be7f76fefe4838e]Nanjing[/wiki], [wiki=67c476ae81813a2118ae88e25538f7e7]Ningbo[/wiki], [wiki=e20b15811b6adf2888116bdb387780d9]Qingdao[/wiki], [wiki=6cf0067ed64b9d3e4e66ed516e5d7448]Sanya[/wiki], [wiki=5466ee572bcbc75830d044e66ab429bc]Shanghai-Hongqiao[/wiki], [wiki=5466ee572bcbc75830d044e66ab429bc]Shanghai-Pudong[/wiki], [wiki=d3ecdb1d90623e05b65cd07fbea6bb7d]Shenyang[/wiki], [wiki=8f3199f4c051d7e2597afb0b55b23dee]Shenzhen[/wiki], [wiki=385bec84c915fdaa336002ef6367b3c8]Weihai[/wiki], [wiki=4b546d2192bf23da23ea0042cc622bfa]Wuhan[/wiki], [wiki=5da8b6870844479e692c0d9f102d6750]Xi'an[/wiki], [wiki=9d6d0f6936e1fb402d564d9e35fad9d4]Xiamen[/wiki], [wiki=79e3127ca6bb4c28e2fcebb8348e1767]Yantai[/wiki], [wiki=93776a98fbea10e041ce1bcf940e2fe9]Yuncheng[/wiki], [wiki=18a1e3bd53adbd350f07144815c564f5]Zhengzhou[/wiki], and [wiki=0922165082029cfdc08abb2fecca043d]Zhuhai[/wiki].
A few international routes are available, including [wiki=853cfbf8cc7335320da12e9de6287da8]Hiroshima[/wiki], [wiki=8b476ff778119b8d49588f3daadf69a1]Hong Kong[/wiki], [wiki=878f3a40c956de20b3487cb5ec973b9c]Kaohsiung[/wiki], [wiki=dc5df51ea7e4a83d5663ca4ced03a1aa]Kuala Lumpur[/wiki], [wiki=10b22625bf8918f4fd3ae2f185bd44c8]Nagoya[/wiki], [wiki=7afedf25b7e78341ed8d9ebf401daf75]Seoul-Incheon[/wiki], [wiki=458e4cbc78201c1aec5fc53a31c59378]Singapore[/wiki], [wiki=7a4e1add2047d025b98f55dbb33382b5]Taipei-Songshan[/wiki], [wiki=7a4e1add2047d025b98f55dbb33382b5]Tapei-Taoyuan[/wiki], and [wiki=029129f2fae46a66cebf9c90dbc3e0ca]Ulan Bator[/wiki]. However the destinations are far more than that, if Beijing Capital International Airport is taken into account, which is so near. Because the fairly short distance between the two cities, and bullet train service available, consider both cities as an arrival point.
Airport Shuttle Bus[http://www.airport-china.com/tianjin-binhai-airport/traffic/airport-shuttle.html] There are four 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.
The Binhaiguojijichang metro station at the end of Line 2 goes directly to the airport and takes ~20 minutes from the central station.
Tianjin Railway Station is the largest station in the city. It was first built in 1888 and then rebuilt in 1988. The station was again renovated in 2008 in preparation for the Olympic Games. Tianjin North is another railway stations in the urban area. Tanggu station serves the seaside district of the same name. Tianjin West and Tianjin South stations serve bullet trains to Shanghai, while Tianjin West in urban area and Tianjin South is a bit far from the city.
Tianjin railway station is open for 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, travelling up to 300 km/h. Some C-series trains make a stop in Wuqing, add 5 more minutes to the whole trip.
There are shuttle buses between Tianjin railway station and Tianjin airport. A ticket costs ¥15 per trip. It stops about 200 m from the train station northern gate (back gate). When one get down from the shuttle bus, just walk along the pavement and you will reach the train station.
Should you choose to take taxi, use the official taxi stand (just follow the signage). The taxi fare from Tianjin railway station to Tianjin airport is about ¥50-65. It is not advisable to use any of the touts that offer taxi services. The official taxi stand has plenty of taxis.
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.
Tianjin South Railway Station handles some of the high-speed rail service to Shanghai. However, it is not near the city, being relatively far from the city centre. There are some bus routes from the South Railway Station to the city, and the taxis are predominantly of the illegal variety, so plan accordingly. The renovated Tianjin West Station also handle the high-speed rail service to Shanghai. It can be reached by Tianjin Metro Line 1. Tianjin South serves as an intermediate station for bullet trains between Beijing South and Shanghai Hongqiao. Tianjin West is not located on the main line, but as a termini for trains between Tianjin West and Shanghai Hongqiao.
The Tianjin Railway Station is also locally called the 'East Station', due to its geographical position. In January 2007, the station began another long-term restructuring project to modernize the facility and as part of the larger Tianjin transport hub project involving Tianjin Metro lines 2, 3, and 9 as well as the Tianjin-Beijing High-speed rail.
Tianjin West Railway Station and Tianjin North Railway Station are also major railway stations in Tianjin. There is also Tanggu Railway Station is located in the important port area of Tanggu District, and TEDA Railway Station located in TEDA, to the north of Tanggu. There are several other railway stations in the city that do not handle passenger traffic.
Construction on a Beijing-Tianjin high-speed rail was completed by August 2008.
The following rail lines go through Tianjin:
Tianjin West Railway Station, Jingshan Railway, from Beijing to Shanhai Pass
Jinpu Railway, from Tianjin to Pukou District, Nanjing
Jinji Railway, from Tianjin urban area to Ji County, Tianjin
Jinba Railway, from Tianjin to Bazhou, Hebei
Starting from Aug. 1, 2008, all trains stopping at the previous Tianjin Temporary Passenger Station will now instead use the newly completed Tianjin Railway Station.
Also, the inter-city trains between Beijing and Tianjin will adopt a new numbering system: Cxxxx (C stands for interCity.). The train numbers 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.
The new C trains take only 30 min between Beijing and Tianjin, cutting the previous D train time by more than a half. The ticket price (as of Aug 2008) is ¥69 for the first-class seat and ¥58 for the second-class seat.
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.
Inner Ring Road (neihuan)
Middle Ring Road (zhonghuan)
Outer Ring Road (waihuan)
Tianjin's roads often finish in dao (道 avenue), xian (线) line, more used for highways and through routes) and lu (路 road). Jie (街 street) is rare. As Tianjin's roads are rarely in a cardinal compass direction, jing (经) roads and wei (纬) roads often appear, which attempt to run more directly north-south and east-west, respectively.
The following seven expressways of China run in or through Tianjin:
Jingjintang Expressway, from Beijing, through Tianjin's urban area, to Tanggu District / TEDA
Jinghu Expressway, from Jinjing Gonglu Bridge to Shanghai (together with Jingjintang Expressway, this is the expressway from Beijing to Shanghai)
Jingshen Expressway, through Baodi District on its way from Beijing to Shenyang
Tangjin Expressway, from Tanggu District, Tianjin, to Tangshan, Hebei-known in Tianjin as the Jintang Expressway
Baojin Expressway, from Beichen District, Tianjin, to Baoding, Hebei-known in Tianjin as the Jinbao Expressway
Jinbin Expressway, from Zhangguizhuang Bridge to Hujiayuan Bridge, both within Tianjin
Jinji Expressway, from central Tianjin to Jixian County
The following six China National Highways pass through Tianjin:
China National Highway 102, through Ji County, Tianjin on its way from [wiki=78fb473f134eed43c959f9ebdeeb4050]Beijing[/wiki] to [wiki=73fd77c513b4a6aa081850cd86a7d0c4]Harbin[/wiki]
China National Highway 103, from Beijing, through Tianjin's urban area, to [wiki=3c2697d586c7591cc37520fbce3776fd]Tanggu[/wiki] District
China National Highway 104, from Beijing, through Tianjin Municipality, to [wiki=40f0d82c0913fda323add181a5ee6e11]Fuzhou[/wiki]
China National Highway 105, from Beijing, through Tianjin Municipality, to [wiki=9d6c9d893aa285a736aeabb2b66b316f]Macau[/wiki]
China National Highway 112, circular highway around Beijing, passes through Tianjin Municipality
China National Highway 205, from [wiki=0530f9ff419966b92c2df4d14076fb35]Shanhaiguan[/wiki], [wiki=4c35413d568bd81b62cfdb11f52d78ef]Hebei[/wiki], through Tianjin Municipality, to [wiki=50a13d0dbb195487a4b6c602ea0fe532]Guangzhou[/wiki]
::The expressways to Beijing are sometimes closed due to dense smog in the Autumn and Spring so allow extra time if planning on using them during this period.
::Group-share taxis from Tianjin (to Beijing, or vice-versa) run ¥50-60 per seat (4 seats in total), but these may be illegal taxis.
::Car rental information is available via +86 13102107700 or [http://www.rentcartianjin.com]].
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 3:45PM and 4:45PM from Tsinghua's North-West Gate.
Tianjin is connected to [wiki=8fdb920993402e1ede3c311e256f2bfd]Dalian[/wiki] as well [wiki=7afedf25b7e78341ed8d9ebf401daf75]Incheon[/wiki], [wiki=4d4803b0bb7dab1b0627e4f8277edc5b]South Korea[/wiki], by passenger boat.
[wiki=676c34d7107e519616752eeec31e7305]Kobe[/wiki], [wiki=53a577bb3bc587b0c28ab808390f1c9b]Japan[/wiki] - is served by a weekly China Express Line [http://www.celkobe.co.jp/] ferry, departing Kobe at 11:00 on Fridays and arriving in Tianjin at 14:00 on Sundays. It takes 51 hours to do the nearly 2,000 km (1,242 mi) crossing between the two cities. Tianjin Office Tel.:+86 22-2420-5777
The port is named Xingang (新港), which is about 45 km east to downtown Tianjin. The district Xingang located is named Tanggu. Tianjin Metro Line 9 (also known as the Light Rail by locals) connects Tanggu to downtown Tianjin. A train ride from Tanggu or TEDA metro stations to Tianjin's central railway station takes 40 minutes.
There is also a few direct high-speed trains serve Tanggu Railway Station every day, make a stop in Tianjin's central station before continue to Beijing South. A single trip from Tanggu to Beijing South Station takes just under an hour. Both Tanggu metro station and railway station are about 15 minutes away from the sea port by cab and should not cost you more than ¥20-¥30 by meter.
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 public transportation. Within the city, traveling on a bus line that is less than 12 km (7 mi) will cost ¥1.5, while ¥1 will cover a journey on any line over 12 km, 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.
Taxis are abundant. The minimum cost for 3 kilometers is ¥8 (plus ¥1 mandatory fuel surcharge), and ¥1.7 per kilometer 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 not waiting in the proper queue at popular places for tourists (such as a 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(s) 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.
A light-rail line runs between the urban area of Zhongshanmen to the seaside area Donghailu in TEDA.
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 transporation 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 Ancient Culture Street was opened on New Year´s Day in 1986, the overall construction has the folk architectural styple of Qing dynasty, with 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. All goods are genuine, affordable and with good quality.
* The Concessions in Tianjin were concession territories ceded by the Chinese imperial Qing Dynasty to the great powers in Tianjin.
Tianjin's position at the intersection of the Grand Canal and the Peiho River connecting Beijing to the Bohai Bay made it one of the premier ports of northern China. Foreign trade was approved there for the British and French by the 1860 Peking Convention. Its importance increased even further when it was connected to the Tangshan coal fields by the Kaiping Tramway, the railroad that eventually connected all of northern China and Manchuria. Between 1895 and 1900, the two original powers were joined by Japan, Germany, Russia, and by Austria-Hungary, Italy and Belgium - countries without concessions elsewhere in China - in establishing self-contained concessions each with their own prisons, schools, barracks and hospitals. The European settlements covered 5 square miles (13 km2) in all, the riverfront being governed by foreign powers.
** Austro-Hungarian concession (1901-1917)
During the Boxer rebellion and its aftermath 1899-1901, Austria-Hungary participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance and helped in suppressing the rising. However, Austria-Hungary together with Italy sent the smallest force of any of the combatant nations. Four cruisers and 296 Hungarian enlisted soldiers were dispatched.
** Belgian concession (1902-1931)
The former Belgian Concession was established in 1902. Located on the eastern bank of the Hai River (Hai He), the Belgian government and business community did not invest in concession development, therefore there were not many buildings constructed in this area, and those that were built are no longer extant.
** British concession (1860-1943)
The British concession, in which the trade centres, was situated on the right bank of the Hai River below the native city, occupying some 200 acres (0.81 km²). It was held on a lease in perpetuity granted by the Chinese government to the British Crown, which sublet plots to private owners in the same way as was done at Hankou. The local management was entrusted to a municipal council organized on lines similar to those in Shanghai. The seat of government was the stately Gordon Hall, situated on Victoria Road (now Jiefang Lu).
** French concession (1860-1946)
The former French concession was established in 1860. After more than 100 years, almost every prominent building in the original concession is still extant, including the French Consulate, the Municipal Council, the French Club, the Catholic Cathedral, the French Garden and many others. Many of the bank buildings along the financial street (currently Jiefang Lu, formerly the Rue de France) are still in existence today.
** German concession (1899-1917)
Germany by the late 1870s was on a course of extensive economic involvement in several Chinese provinces, among them the Tientsin area. The German enclave south of the Hai River was situated between the British and one of the Japanese concessions. In July 1877 xenophobic groups threatened the life and property of German merchants in Tientsin. Local unrest intensified, mainly due to poor harvests and resulting famine, and Tientsin business interests requested armed protection. The German admiralty then dispatched the corvette SMS Luise to China. This initial show of support eventually evolved into a permanent presence in Chinese waters by initially modest German naval forces.
** Italian concession (1901-1947)
On September 7, 1901, a concession in Tientsin was ceded to the Kingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia) by the Qing Dynasty of China. On June 7, 1902, the concession was taken into Italian possession and administered by an Italian consul. After World War I the Austro-Hungarian section was added to the Italian, doubling its size. It became the headquarters of the Italian Legione Redenta (an "Italian legio" made of irredentist troops in the defeated Austro-Hungarian empire), that fought in 1919 against Lenin's Soviet troops in Siberia and Manchuria.
** Japanese concession (1888-1945)
The former Japanese concession was established in 1888. The Japanese army occupied the entire city of Tientsin from 1937 until their defeat in 1945.
** Russian concession (1903-1920)
The former Russian concession was established in 1903. The former Russian concession in Tientsin (1903-1920), originally an area of more than 398 hectares, was never completed. Located on the eastern bank of Hai He River along a bend in the river, it was originally divided into two districts (east and west). In 1920 the Beiyang government of the Republic of China retook the land and concession from the Russian SFSR. In 1924, the Soviet Union renounced its claim on the concession.
** American concession
The United States never requested or received extraterritorial rights in Tianjin. A de facto concession was administered from 1869 until 1880, principally under the aegis of the British mission. Ultimately, the American concession territory became part of the British Concession in 1902. The United States maintained a permanent garrison at Tientsin from January 1921, by the 15th Infantry, US Army until 1938 and by the US Marine Corps until December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan.
* Tianjin Eye is a 120-metre (394 ft) tall giant Ferris wheel built above the Yongle Bridge (formerly Chihai Bridge) which straddles the Hai River. It is claimed to be the only such wheel to have been constructed over a bridge. Tianjin Eye has 64 exterior transparent capsules, ideal for 360º sightseeing. A round-trip requires 40 minutes. It is able to see within a radius of 40 km on the top on a clear day.
* 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 Macro 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.
* It is a modern supertall skyscraper located in the Heping Business District of Tianjin, China, on the banks of the Hai River. The mixed-use tower is 336.9 metres (1,105 ft) tall and contains 74 floors above ground and 4 below, with an observation deck at 305.2 metres (1,001 ft). The area of the glass unitized curtain wall, manufactured by Jangho Group, is 215,000m². It is notable as the first office building in Tianjin to be equipped with double decker elevators.
* The monastery was first built in the Ming Dynasty, but has been heavily rebuilt and renovated since and consists now of the West Monestary 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 Tianjin Buddhist Institute and exhibits quite many ancient statues.The Dabei Buddhist Monastery is made up of two parts: old monastery and new monastery. The old monastery refers to the three great halls in the west yard. The construction of the old monastery was start in the beginning of Qing Dynasty, and was renovated in the eighth ruling year of Kangxi Emperor in Qing Dynasty. The east yard features in the new monasterys. The statue of Sakyamuni oblated in the Daxiong Palace from the east yard was created in Ming Dynasty. The whole Sakyamuni Statue is 7 meters high, 6 tons weight, with 9,999 small Buddha carved on the lotus throne. Inside the Great Compassion hall, a 3.6-meters-high-mud-statue of Thousand-hand Kwan-yin is oblate.
The monastery was once famous for holding a skull relic of Xuanzang, however, the relic was presented to India in 1956 when it was taken to Nalanda - allegedly by the Dalai Lama - and presented to India. The relic is now in the Patna museum. And from then on, 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 becomes an office for 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 dynasties since Wei and Jin Period including hundreds of Buddha statues which are made of various materials from bronze, iron, stone to wood.
Vegetarian Food
Dabei Great Monastery is the only monastery in Tianjin providing vegetarian food, so it's a good new for the vegetarian visitors. Food made by the famous Tianjin Dabei Buddhist Monastery Vegetarian Food Corporation are served in the monastery, which includes Longevity Perch present basket, soybean vegetarian, muti-vitamins-calcium noodles, deepfreeze eight precious vegetarian steamed-buns and vegetarian dumplings etc.
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* The Hai River at Tianjin is formed by the confluence of five rivers, the Southern Canal, Ziya River, Daqing River, Yongding River, and the Northern Canal. The southern and northern canals are parts of the Grand Canal. The Southern Canal is joined by the Wei River at Linqing. The Northern Canal joins with the Bai He (or Chaobai River) at Tongzhou. The Northern Canal (sharing a channel with Bai He) is also the only waterway from the sea to Beijing. Therefore, early Westerners also called the Hai He the Bai He.
At Tianjin, through the Grand Canal, the Hai connects with the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. The construction of the Grand Canal greatly altered the rivers of the Hai He basin. Previously, the Wei, Ziya Yongding and Bai Rivers flowed separately to the sea. The Grand Canal cut through the lower reaches of these rivers and fused them into one outlet to the sea, in the form of the current Hai He.
**History
During the Boxer Rebellion, Imperial Chinese forces deployed a weapon called "electric mines" on June 15, at the Peiho river before the Battle of Dagu Forts (1900), to prevent the western Eight-Nation Alliance from sending ships to attack. This was reported by American military intelligence in the United States. War Dept. by the United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division.
Like the Yellow River, the Hai is exceedingly muddy because of the powdery soil through which it flows. The silt carried by the water deposits in the lower reaches, sometimes causing flooding. The waters from the five major tributaries only have one shallow outlet to the sea, which makes such floods stronger. Because China's capital (and second largest city), Beijing, and the third largest city, Tianjin, both lie in the Hai He Basin, Hai He floods cause a significant loss. To alleviate flooding, reservoirs have been built and artificial channels dug to divert excess water directly into the sea. For example, the Chaobai river is diverted to the Chaobai Xin river and no longer joins with the Northern Canal.
* An important Temple of Confucius. Early Qing Dynasty temple with a hall to honour Confucius and other halls for prayers.
* Built in 1644 and constructed in wood. The mosque is still in use by the Tianjin Muslim community. Access for tourists to the interiour is limited.
* This church really stands out as architectural eye-candy. Constructed in 1917 by French Jesuit missionaries, this Tianjin landmark features three massive green domes making it easy to spot miles away. The façade adds to the building's novel appearance with a series of orange and brown horizontal stripes. The interior, damaged during the Cultural Revolution, was beautifully refurbished in the later half of the Twentieth Century. Today it is fully embraced as one of Tianjin's greatest buildings. Morning church services are held daily. An English language mass is held at 11:30. There is also an interesting market behind the church.
* The tower was originally built in the Ming Dynasty, but was destroyed during the culture revolution. The Drum Tower was rebuilt in 2001 and now actually houses a bell and not drums. The tower is home to varying exhibitions.
* The Tianjin Radio and Television Tower is a 415.2 m (1,362 ft) tower in Tianjin, China used primarily for communication. It was built in 1991 at a cost of $45 million. Approximately two-thirds up the tower is an observation pod with floor space 253m (830 feet) (used mostly for communication equipment). The fourth largest tower in the world. But this one might be the most spectacular as it is surrounded by water.
It is the largest urban park and recreation area in Tianjin. The recreation area of the Tianjin Water Park has one of the city's highest ferris wheels. Visitors are also encouraged to travel on the lakes via rowing boats and high speed water shuttles. The park changes its theme according to season, for example, during spring there is the Tulip Show, and in autumn there is the Chrysanthemum Show.
* This park could easily elevate to shrine status, especially during spring when the trees and flowers begin to bloom with incomparable color. Ponds and pavilions linked by 29 arch bridges suffuse the entire park with a keen sense of serenity, making it the ideal spot for a quick city escape. The park's main feature, the Zhiyuan Pagoda, extends 244 feet high. It can be scaled by either stairs or elevator. Carved murals on the pagoda's inside walls are worthy of attention too.
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* The Tianjin Zoo is located in Nankai District, Tianjin, China, as the south-most part of the Water Park complex. Construction began in 1975 and it was opened to the public on January 1st, 1980. It houses approximately 3,000 animals of 200 species.
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* A large buidling where you can see a wide variety of fish and mammals from both 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. Click [[url=http://tianjinpolar.com/intro5.html]|here[/url]] for bus routes near you
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.
The Tianjin Museum has an extensive collection of ancient Chinese fine arts and exhibits on Tianjin's history. There are nearly 200,000 collections of art and relics, including calligraphy, paintings, bronzeware, ceramics, jadeware, seals, inkstone, Jiagu (bones or tortoise shells with inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty), coins, historic documents and relics of modern times.
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* The museum holds more than 1,000 historical pictures and a great deal of historical data, recording the history of Sino-foreign relationship for more than 400 years, from the middle of 16th century to the middle of 20th century. These pictures represent 15 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Holland, ndia, Italy, Israel, Japan, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Israel and the US. There are also approximately 400 contemporary photographs.
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* Jingyuan Garden with a history of 80 years is a famous residence combining both Chinese and European architecture style. It is now one of the heritage sites under city protection and the important historic architecture under the protection the city 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.
* Early modern Chinese writer whose stories have been adapted into such films as Ang Li's "Lust, Caution". Zhang Ailing lived here during her early childhood years.
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* The three-story museum is dedicated to the memory of premier Zhou En-lai and his wife, Deng Yingchao, and features photos, documents and dioramas of significant events in their lives. The museum is located near the Tianjin Water Park.
* 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 himself. Also surrounding the museum and residence is where you can find a professional wushu/kung fu school.
* Opened in 1997 this museum celebrates the Communist's victory over Kuomintang in January 1949. The clash involved more than one million soldiers and was one of four major battles fought between the two sides. Three major halls (Prelude, War History and Special Subjects) present vivid battle accounts through films, photos and paintings. There are also tanks, cannons and armored cars leftover from the war on display too. And in being true to form with all other Communist themed museums there are several statues of some of the party's most prominent leaders.
* The China House is 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 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 acient furniture, woodcarving, etc. All the exhibits are collected by the chairman of the museum, [wiki=a7113560c23e7d4af444279af38b229d]Zhang Lianzhi[/wiki].
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. Originally a 100-year -old French style villa, the residence is a five-storied building with a total area of 3,000 square metres. Porcelain used to decorate the house can date back to the Han Dynasty. Visitors can almost find every type of porcelain from the house, which combines traditional Chinese architecture and western architecture.
On the roof of the house is embedded a 768-metre-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.
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). This street is worth a visit even if it is very touristy.
**Tianhou Palace (天后宫; Tiānhòugōng; Mazu temple), temple dedicated to the goddess Mazu and biggest in the North China region.
* Ancient cultural street full of cheap and tasty cafes.
* Running 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 noticably 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 Muesum of Finance' which is home to several interesting financial artifacts, including the only share certificate in existance featuring a picture of Mao Zedong.
* One of the busiest shopping precincts in Tianjin.
* Lined with large English style homes, another cultural street in Tianjin.
* Binjiang Dao is Tianjin's main thoroughfare and shopping area. Ask some of the locals and they will try and compare it with the glitz and glamour of Shanghai's Nanjing Lu, possibly the most famous shopping area in the whole of China. With that in mind, it may seem that the people of Tianjin are making one hell of a claim. However, whilst Tianjin may still have quite a way to go in becoming the Shanghai of the north, Binjian does not deserve to be left in the shadows.
Making a serious comparison with Nanjing Lu may well be folly, but Binjiang does have several similar qualities. First, and possibly most striking, is the architecture. Like Shanghai, Tianjin also grew around a large colonial presence from Europe and America. Evidence of this is still relatively clear, if you can avert your eyes from the mesmerizing glare of neon signs, you will see that many of the buildings to which they are attached are of classical European design. Two glorious examples of this are the Xinhua bookstore and the city's main post office. Scratch away their rather boring modern-day uses and remove their bulky signs, and you discover two wonderful old buildings.
* The 183 km² Binhai New Area holds three administrative areas: Tanggu, Hangu and Dagang, as well as some towns.
The stadium hosted games for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and Football preliminaries at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It covers 78,000 square meters and has a capacity of 60,000. It as a length of 380 meters, a width of 270 meters, and a height of 53 meters. The stadium is nicknamed "The Water Drop" because the outside of the venue was designed to resemble a drop of water. The stadium cost nearly 1,500,000,000 Yuan to build. The architects were AXS Satow.
* It is a professional football stadium in Tianjin, China, home of Tianjin Teda F.C. The stadium holds 37,450 people and was built in 2004. The stadium is located in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), and was designed by Peddle Thorp Architects, an Australian architecture firm.
It is a small section of the Great Wall of China located in the north of Ji County, Tianjin municipality, approximately 78 miles (126 km) north of urban Tianjin city. The site lies on a steep and abrupt mountain ridge.
Huangya Pass was originally built over 1400 years ago in the Northern Qi Dynasty and reinforced with brick walls in the Ming Dynasty. In 1984, major repair work has been performed on over 3 kilometres of the wall including on 20 water towers and 1 water pass. The pass is a major tourist attraction within Tianjin and was listed as a site of relics protection in 1986.
**Overwhelming: With its walls and towers built on mountain ridge with an average altitude of 738 meters, 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.
**Striking: 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.
Scenic: On Huangyaguan, you will be able to enjoy both mountain scenery and waterfalls and springs.
Old: 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 bus 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 [wiki=a40279d995f7d7db8a10e40e7e83f6c9]Great Wall of China[/wiki] towers, challenging hiking and striking scenery.
* It is a market town located in the western suburbs of the municipality of Tianjin. Despite its relatively small size, it has been named since 2006 in the "World famous historical and cultural market towns".
It is best known in China for creating nianhua or Yangliuqing woodcuts. For more than 400 years, Yangliuqing has in effect specialised in the creation of these woodcuts for the New Year, using vivid colour schemes to portray traditional scenes of children's games often interwoven with auspiciouse objects.
* The temple is of historical as well as architectural significance. Its oldest surviving buildings are two timber-frame structures, the front gate and the central hall (pavilion) that houses a colossal clay statue of the goddess Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara). Both structures date back to the Liao Dynasty and are among the oldest surviving wooden buildings in China.
* The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing Emperor between 1522 and 1527. Its purpose was to protect Tianjin from attack by wokou sea raiders.
Later, in 1816, the Qing government built the first two forts on both sides of the Haihe estuary in response to increased concerns about seaborne threats from the West. By 1841, in response to the First Opium War, the defensive system in Dagukou was reinforced into a system of five big forts, 13 earthen batteries, and 13 earthworks. In 1851, Imperial Commissioner Sengge Rinchen carried out a comprehensive renovation of the forts, building 6 large forts: two on the south of the estuary, called "Wēi" (威-Might) and "Zhèn"(震-Thunder, Tremor, Quake), three to the north, "Hǎi"(海-sea), "Mén"(门-gate) "Gāo" (高-high), and the sixth, the "Shitoufeng" (石头缝-Stone Seam) Fort, was built on a small ridge on the northern shore. Each fort had 3 large guns and 20 small caliber guns. Forts were constructed of wood, brick and an external curtain of two feet of concrete, the layering designed to avoid spalling and minimize artillery rounds' penetration. The forts were around 10 to 15m high, which located as they were in an exceedingly flat landscape, provided a critical vantage point.
* It is a mountain in Ji County, Tianjin Municipality, People's Republic of China. It is located 120 kilometres (75 mi) from Tianjin and 90 kilometres (56 mi) from Beijing. It has an area of 20 square kilometers and its highest peak is 858 meters above the sea level.
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*The Chaoyin Temple was built on 1404 (Ming Dynasty). It used to be called Nanhaidasi Temple or Shuangshan Temple. It faces the Hai 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.
* The master plan of Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city was jointly developed by the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design, the Tianjin Urban Planning and Design Institute, and the Singapore planning team led by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Singapore. The intention is for development to take place around a central core of conserved ecological wetlands and rehabilitated water bodies. The main centre of the Eco-city will be located on the southern bank of a historical thousand-year-old river course, which has been planned for a variety of uses, including commercial, cultural and recreational ones.
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.
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 Synagogue and a Roman Catholic Diocese of Tianjin.
Under the National Ministry of Education:
* Nankai University (南开大学) (founded 1919,one of the most prestigious universities in China)
* Tianjin University (天津大学) (founded 1895, oldest university in China)
Under the municipal government:
* Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts (天津美术学院)
* Tianjin Agricultural College (天津农学院)
* Tianjin Conservatory of Music (天津音乐学院)
* Tianjin Foreign Studies University (天津外国语大学)
* Tianjin Institute of Physical Education (天津体育学院)
* Tianjin Medical University (天津医科大学)
* Tianjin Normal University (天津师范大学)
* Tianjin Polytechnic University (天津理工大学)
* Tianjin University of Commerce (天津商业大学)
* Tianjin University of Finance & Economics (天津财经大学)
* Tianjin University of Science & Technology (天津科技大学)
* Tianjin University of Technology (天津工业大学)
* Tianjin University of Technology and Education (天津职业技术师范学院)
* Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (天津中医药大学)
* Tianjin Urban Construction Institute (天津城市建设学院)
Under the government of Hebei Province:
* Hebei University of Technology (河北工业大学) (founded 1903, the earliest institute of technology in China)
Under the national Civil Aviation Authority:
* Civil Aviation University of China (中国民航大学)
Foreign institutions:
* The Florida International University Tianjin Center, opened in 2006 as a cooperative venture between the municipal government and the Miami-based university.
* The Great Wall MBA Program, Oklahoma City University Meinders School of Business, established in 1986 on the campus of Tianjin University of Finance & Economics.
Note: Institutions without full-time bachelor programs are not listed.
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* A courtyard-style hotel.
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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.
* You will not be able to miss this hotel, which looks like two beached cruise ships moored up against a lake. Has a good variety of features and amenities, but its location is a bit out of the way.
* 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.
* Built in 1922, the rooms have high ceilings and a bit of a classic feel. In-room internet is ¥10 per day. Staff English ability is a bit low.
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* Literally directly across the street from The Eye.
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* Close to the Central Business District and surrounded by streets with restaurants, shops and entertainment. Ranging from one to three bedrooms.
* Located in the financial area hub.
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* Offering deluxe accommodations and superior facilities, it has a pool, fitness centre and meeting facilities.
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* 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.
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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.
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