Tianjin, also known as the diamond of the Bohai Gulf and the gateway to the capital of the People's Republic of China, is one of the biggest industrial and port cities in China. The city has a long and illustrious history, and the marks that the past has imprinted upon the place can still be seen today, albeit in diminished, and diminishing, form. For the visitor today, this legacy can still be glimpsed, in the varied and beautiful architecture of the old concessionary areas, amongst the foibles and antiques to be found in the winding streets of the antique market, and with visits to the profusion of religious buildings that litter the city.

Notable history of the city began with the excavation of the Grand Canal in the Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD). At this time, Tianjin was considered to be one of China's most important military fortresses. Any "aliens" would have to get through Tianjin for direct access to the capital, a mere 80km to the west. The city, starting in the mid-Tang (618-907 AD), also became known as the transportation route, via canal, of most food and silk from the north to the south. In 1860, after the First Opium War, Tianjin was further expanded as a business and communications center. By the end of the 19th century, it had grown into a bustling center with a population of approximately 300,000 citizens. As a result of the Peking Treaty signed in the wake of the Second Opium War, Tianjin became an open port for foreign trade with concession areas earmarked for foreign residents of various countries.

The 20th century has witnessed earth-shaking changes in Tianjin, three successive wars (Democratic Revolution in the 1910s, Anti-Japanese War from the mid-1930s to mid-1940s and the civil war immediately afterwards) and a devastating earthquake in 1976 were to change the face of Tianjin forever. The turbulence of this period was to greatly slow the economic pace of the city and it was not until the end of the Cultural Revolution, as the dust of the earthquake settled, that Tianjin got back on track. Foreign and domestic money pored in to the municipality, especially after the establishment of the Tianjin Economic and Technological Zone. Nowadays it is the future that is driving the look of Tianjin, with many of the old architecture making way for modern buildings.

Life in Tianjin changed as world war and the 1949 Revolution gave birth to a new China. When the city's harbor became badly silted, the occupying Japanese began constructing an artificial harbor 50 kms downstream at Tanggu, and the Communists completed it in 1952, with further expansion in the '70s for container cargo. Then came the devastating 1976 earthquake, which forced Tianjin to be closed to foreign visitors while its port and parts of the city were rebuilt...just in time for the Open-door Policy.
Since then Tianjin has boomed. The port is the biggest in the north, handing nearly 70 million tonnes of cargo. It is kept open by ice-breakers in winter and is being expanded with new deep-water berths, including one with a capacity of 100,000 deadweight tones. The municipality industries earned about US$5 billion in 1997 due in no small degree to massive foreign investment attracted to the Tianjin Economic and Development Area. Local brand names are recognised within China for their quality.

Tianjin's European legacy also makes this worthwhile stop-off for tourists. Numerous colonial buildings have survived war and earthquake, notably the French chateaux and haughty British mansions south of the river. Pastel colours and wrought-iron balconies impart an oddly Continental feel, juxtaposed with modern glass-and-steel high-rises like the TV Tower or the futuristic Olympic Tower retail and apartment complex.

The Hai River esplanades, with their Parisian railings and bridge work, are a good place to observe local activities such as fishing, early morning taijiquan, opera practice, and airing caged birds. Or wander the intimate alleys on the original old Chinese city for glimpses of daily life in quiet courtyards. Restored 17th-century structures filled with incense curls and eerie chants make the major Buddhist temple of Dabei Yuan a fascinating spot, while the active mosque is a fine example of Sino-Arabic architecture.

Touristy but pretty, Ancient Culture Street faithfully recreates a lane of 19th-century Chinese shop houses, selling handicrafts such as teapots. A special local craft is ni ren (clay men) - small figurines with realistic expressions, which were popularized by a 19th-century caricaturist who named Zhang. They are displayed at the Fine Art Museum and sold at Zhang Art Store. Top-quality handmade Tientsin carpets feature bright abstract patterns and are best bought direct from the factories. Tianijn is also noted for its vividly hand colored New Year posters and its kites.

Tianjin's main shopping attraction, however, in its Antique Market, which is swelled on Sundays by Beijing's bargain-hunters. An astonishing array of goods ranges from revolutionary postcards to Mao alarm clocks. Modern shops congregate below the classical Western facades of tree-line. Heping Lu, which has a relaxed, feels even where packed with intrepid fashion seekers. A street market along pedestrianised Binjiang Dao touts cheap apparel and ends at the four-storey International Market in the Harrod's look-alike - one of Tianjin's best department stores.


 

Major attractions in Tianjin