Tianjin city - attractions, transport, interesting places. Study in China, universities and schools, Chinese language The most popular tourist destination in Tianjin
Tianjin is one of the oldest Chinese cities, a major tourist, cultural and historical center. It is located near Beijing. Population – 15.7 million people (as of 2015). To the east lies the waters of the Bohai Bay, to the north the Great Canal of China. Tianjin is a large port city, famous for its distinctive culture and original architecture, a city that honors folk traditions and customs.
A little history
The history of Tianjin dates back to ancient times (1404), during the reign of the Tang Dynasty. During this period of time, the city served as a royal port. During the reign of the Chinese Emperor Yongle, fortifications began to grow here like mushrooms. And Tianjin turned into a major military center. Over time, its territory expanded, and numerous civilian buildings appeared around it. Over the long 600 years, a lot has changed. The frames between ancient structures and modern buildings have become worn out. Currently, Tianjin is a huge metropolis with its own unique flavor, incredible charm and charm. Walking along its long winding streets, tourists will be able to admire ancient colonial buildings and restaurants designed in the oriental national style. And then visit one of the new areas of the city - stay in a luxury hotel, have a meal in a luxurious restaurant, wander through elite boutiques.
Sights of Tianjin
Old city
You can start your tour of Tianjin from the colorful quarters of the Old City. The first stop on the journey is the Dabeiyuan Buddhist Temple, dating back to the 17th century. This is a small oblong structure, created in the likeness of ancient Chinese temples. In the main hall there is a huge sculpture of Buddha. The Ancient Culture Street stretches straight from the Dabeiyuan Gate. This is a large, well-equipped pedestrian area. A huge number of shops, cafes and restaurants are concentrated here. The buildings were built relatively recently, but are still distinguished by their characteristic oriental style. In the middle of the street there is a city square. Its main decoration is the Palace of the Heavenly Empress - an ancient Chinese temple.
The next point of the excursion is the Temple of Confucius, dating back to the 15th century. A Buddha statue greets visitors right at the entrance. There is a wonderful picturesque park around the complex. The building is decorated with traditional paintings, carved patterns and snow-white balustrades. Red two-tier roof with characteristically curved corners. Not far from the temple there is a city museum, the exhibition of which includes a variety of household items - dishes, clothes, tools. Another attraction in this area is the Theater Museum. Performances are still staged within its walls. In the adjacent rooms you can see several collections of old photographs and books dedicated to the theater.
Hepingqu District
The next point of the excursion is the Hepingqu district. It's like he's stuck in the colonial era. Its territory is divided into several concession zones. And the variety of architectural styles makes your head spin. Here you can find strict English classics, exquisite French pomp, German restraint and Japanese motifs. Particularly noteworthy are the old bank building and the neo-romantic French church. On the territory of Hepingqu there are about two hundred private villas owned by foreigners. Connoisseurs of oriental culture and history simply must visit the building of the Tianjin Museum. It houses two museums at once - a historical museum and an art gallery. On display for tourists are ancient photographs, national dishes, porcelain and bronze items, ancient manuscripts, and calligraphy.
Other attractions
To the north of Tianjin stretch the Panshan mountain ranges, a favorite place of the Chinese emperors. A wonderful natural resort, impressive with its magnificent natural scenery. The Temple of the Lonely Heart is a fairly ancient structure, surprising with its powerful wooden structure. Within the city there are a huge number of natural parks and gardens. Among the most popular is the Garden of Tranquility. There are beautiful carved terraces, a long picturesque alley, numerous pavilions, artificial ponds, cozy gazebos and colorful flower beds. Tianjin Water Park is another wonderful holiday destination. On its territory there are three delightful lakes and nine small green islands. The doors of the city zoo are open for the youngest guests. Several hundred rare animals and birds live within its walls.
City within a city
In the west of Tianjin is the small charming town of Yangliuqing. It is famous for its numerous craft workshops producing New Year's paintings. At first they were created by hand, painted with traditional patterns and fancy designs, and then they began to be printed on machines. Bright, saturated colors are a prerequisite for production.
Haihe River
Mother River - that’s how the locals dubbed Haihe. Wonderful boat trips are available for tourists. The main asset of Haihe is the Jintangqiao Bridge. Its unusually fragile design surprises and fascinates. The steps leading to the bridge are made of thick glass. The bridge itself is a true architectural masterpiece. Illuminated by hundreds of blue lanterns, it seems airy and weightless.
Teahouses Tianjin
Teahouses in Tianjin are the pride of local residents and their treasure. Here you can have a great rest and relaxation. You can come here in any clothes, strict style is not necessary. Visitors are entertained by cheerful “xiangshengs”, masters of jokes and jokes. Customers are served an aromatic tea drink, prepared in China, in a strict, consistent ceremony.
Tourist Information
Getting to Tianjin is not particularly difficult. In the vicinity of the city there is an international airport that receives dozens of flights daily from Japan, Singapore, Korea, Malaysia and other cities in China.
The city of Tianjin is located 120 km from the capital of China, its area is more than 11 thousand square kilometers. This Chinese city includes 5 counties and 13 districts and is home to more than 9 million people. The city has a rich history, it occupies a strong position and attracts interest among tourists. Indeed, the sights of Tianjin and its surroundings are worth the attention of guests from all over the world. You will understand why after reading the article to the end. I propose to start our next virtual journey by exploring famous areas and streets.
Streets of Tianjin - a Chinese city with a twist
Perhaps the first place you might find yourself when arriving in the Chinese city of Tianjin is the Gulou pedestrian street.
This is a large shopping and tourist area where you will find interesting entertainment, shows, and the main attractions of Tianjin. You will have the opportunity to shop and get acquainted with the culture of the Chinese people. In the center of Gulou Street stands the Bell Tower, and next to it are buildings made in the style of the Qing era, many shops in the style of the Qing and Ming dynasties, theaters and pretty arches.
This city in China is also famous for its ancient shopping street Hepinglu.
A little over 10 years ago it was reconstructed, resulting in the longest pedestrian street in Tianjin. Here you will find whole rows of shops and stores, buildings that combine the architectural traditions of the West and the East.
If you are a little tired of wandering around the Chinese city and want to get away from the flow of residents and noisy shopping areas, then go to the park. You probably already know that in China there is a special attitude towards such places; many of them resemble a work of art. If you don’t believe me, read about it, I’m sure you’ll want to know more about it. As for Tianjin, the largest and most famous here is the water park.
The total area is more than 1,600,000 square meters. In the south and north it is land, in the middle there is a body of water with 11 islands. An ideal place to relax.
We return to this amazing city in China, again find ourselves in the thick of things and soak in the spirit of history. Let's look at one of the main attractions of Tianjin - Old Culture Street. Those who know English have already translated the name. Yes, this is the street of Ancient Culture.
They tried to recreate the atmosphere of an ancient Chinese city. Here you will find traditional architecture, sellers offering unique goods: Chinese manuscripts, watercolors, music discs, paintings. Here you will also see the oldest building in Tianjin - Tianhou Temple (it was built in 1326).
The goddess of the Sea was worshiped there; you remember that this city in China is actually considered a port, a kind of connecting hub.
Also, while in Tianjin, you should definitely visit the picturesque Tiantahu area and look at the main architectural ensemble - the Tianjin TV Tower. Its main feature is placement. The TV tower is located on the water, and we will now talk about it in more detail.
Architectural sights of Tianjin
Tianjin TV Tower located on Lake Tianta - it is the tallest tower in Asia and the 4th largest in the world (the leading positions are occupied by television towers located in Toronto, Moscow and Shanghai). The people of Tianjin call it "Tianta Xuen Yong", or clouds floating around the broadcast tower.
The television tower in this Chinese city was created in 1991; it reaches a height of 415 meters. The structure is unique, consisting of several giant tubes, a seven-story building, a disc-shaped revolving restaurant, and an internal platform on top. In general, it's difficult to describe. It’s better to look at the photo or come here to see with your own eyes the amazing sights of Tianjin, including the TV tower. It offers a beautiful view of this Chinese city.
On Dongmenneyi Street there is another striking landmark of Tianjin - the Confucian Temple (the second name is the Tianjin Confucian Temple).
It covers an area of 12 thousand square meters and has a history of more than 7 centuries. Of course, you already guessed that it was built in honor of the ancient Chinese thinker Confucius. The building was restored in 1985.
Attractions outside Tianjin
113 kilometers from this Chinese city, in Jixian County, is the Temple of Lonely Happiness, better known as the Temple of the Big Buddha. Where does this name come from? It was once given to the building by General An Lushan, who wished himself happiness there. What is noteworthy about the Temple of Lonely Happiness?
The 23-meter Guanyin Pavilion, many different halls, unusual decoration of the entrance roof (slopes and ridges). This city in China also boasts the oldest surviving gates, and the Guanyin Pavilion is rightfully considered one of the best wooden pavilions in the country. It's hard to believe, but he was able to survive as many as 28 earthquakes.
Tianjin is a city in China, which, as you already understand, is inextricably linked with the sea and television. There is even a TV Tower City, located between the water park and the TV tower.
Yangtsun Park, located 80 kilometers from the Chinese capital, also deserves special attention. It contains world-famous sights from different countries. Essentially, this is a smaller, high-quality copy. I would like to emphasize that in the amusement park you can see not only analogues of architectural structures, but also natural landscapes.
Here you will find as many as 113 attractions from approximately 80 countries. In Yangtsun Small World Park, you can take an impromptu trip around the world, look at the 5 bridges that connect continents and stretch over 4 oceans, visit the world of the future, and learn about the history of mankind.
Not far from Tianjin is also the small city of Yangliuqing, famous for its workshops for making New Year's pictures.
Every year, about 20,000,000 pictures were produced here with effects in saturated and pastel colors, printed and manual methods.
Their size can be called a special feature, since there were a lot of stories.
I hope you are convinced that Tianjin is a city in China that is truly worth a look. If you are already planning a trip, save time and money - find great deals in the form below.
Both the city itself and its surroundings deserve attention. To further imprint this virtual walk in your memory, I suggest watching a video about Tianjin attractions.
P.S. If you liked our next virtual tour, please share links to it with your friends. This is easy to do by clicking on the social buttons that you see above the post title. Thank you very much!) See you again.
Tianjin is one of the 4 central cities in China, as well as one of the largest cities in the country. The city is located on the coast of Bohai Bay, and to the north are the Yanshan Mountains. Tianjin is located 120 km from Beijing.
Previously a county of Tianjin Municipality, Wuqing became one of the city's districts. In the north, Tianjin borders on Beijing, in the east, west and south on the cities of Tangshan, Chengde, Langfang and Cangzhou in Hebei Province. Length of sea coastline – 133 km, area 11305 sq. km.
The most the earliest mention of Tianjin dates back to the early period of the reign of the Yongle Emperor Tang Dynasty. In ancient times the city served as an imperial port. In the second year of his reign, the Yongle Emperor (1404) designated this area as an important place for conducting military affairs of the state and began the construction of urban fortifications. The port in the city helped make this happen. This is how the city of Tianjin in China arose.
600 years of history have merged the ancient with the modern in Tianjin, giving the city a specific appearance with features of the East and West. In the structure of Tianjin, the main one is the urban area, the secondary ones are Tanggu and Jixian County. Within the city there is a water park, Tianhou Palace, Dabeiyuan and the Great Mosque; in its vicinity are the Panshan Mountains, Dulesi Temple and the White Pagoda. The city is a tourism gem.
The city of Tianjin also has interesting sights. In the suburbs there is the Temple of Lonely Happiness. Originally built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), the temple is famous for its majestic wooden structure. Inside there is a huge porcelain Buddha statue and colorful murals. The Panshan Mountains are located in the northwest of Jixian County.
It was a favorite resort of emperors of various dynasties. The beauty of Panshan can be compared with the landscapes of Taishan and Lushan. Also, a wonderful holiday destination is located in the city itself - the Water Park with three lakes and nine islands.
Ancient Culture Street - Tianjin
And you can get acquainted with Chinese-style parks in the Garden of Tranquility with many pavilions and terraces connected by the Long Gallery. The modern zoo is home to rare birds and animals. Tianjin is famous for carpets, Yangliuqing New Year pictures, Zhang porcelain figurines and Wei kites.
The night in Tianjin can be quiet, calm, but not boring. There is no excessive façade here, as happens in Shanghai. There are no noisy crowds here, as there are in the Forbidden City of Beijing. Moreover, it is not like other southern cities, where a pleasant breeze blows and from time to time you can hear a quiet whisper in the local dialect. It is also not like other coastal cities, where young people usually look for some extra-fashionable entertainment.
For some reason, the unique taste of this city does not come to the surface, but is hidden in the details. And only those who delve into the life of the city will feel it.
Yangliuqing in Tianjin city
Yangliuqing is a small town in the western suburbs of Tianjin.. Craft workshops for making New Year pictures appeared here at the end of the Ming era (1368-1644). During the Qing Dynasty, "yangliuqing" became the most famous type of wood painting. Once upon a time, most of the residents of the city and 32 surrounding villages were engaged in the production of pictures.
More than 20 million pieces were produced annually. Yangliuqing absorbed not only the traditions of folk painting, but also the features of Chinese traditional “realism”, where attention is paid to every detail. When painting, various effects of pastel and saturated colors were used.
To produce the picture, both the printing method and manual work were used. They depicted door gods, chubby children, elegant girls, as well as scenes from ancient novels and folk tales. A special feature of New Year's popular prints from Yangliuqing County is their large size.
TV Tower City is located between the Radio and TV Tower and the Water Park. It occupies 200,000 sq. m. Next to it there is an entertainment center.
Haihe River in Tianjin
The Haihe, which runs through the entire Tianjin, is the mother river of the city. In recent years, uninterrupted work has been carried out to clean up its riverbed and reconstruct it. As a result of this, the old bridge, after thorough repairs, regained its former features. It resembles an ancient monument that tells visitors its ancient history.
And if you came here on a summer evening, we would suggest you take a boat ride around Haihe. Passenger boarding location is at the pier near Ancient Culture Street, which is not far from the mouth of Sanchakou.
As you approach the Jintangxiao Bridge with its glass exits and glass steps. Under the light of blue lanterns, a transparent magical bridge seems to stretch out in front of you.
Teahouses in Tianjin
To get to know this city better, you need not only to see with your own eyes, but also to hear with your ears. Here and there, from time to time, you hear the clear voice of the masters of Peking Opera. If you happen to hear a cheerful conversation and laughter, it means that the masters of the comic dialogue “xiangsheng” are performing at the nearest teahouse. Unlike performing in major theaters here in the teahouses all the spectators behave like vacationers, quite freely.
Anyone can come in any suit and without a tie. They sit in a variety of positions. They can laugh a lot, shout or even make noise. It is in such a free, free atmosphere that they find their joy b. The humorous dialogue “Xiangsheng” in Tjazin teahouses has existed for ten years. And this genre of art began to enjoy increasing success.
Every evening in these teahouses, and there are several dozen of them in Tianjin, the masters of comic dialogue perform. For example, on Guijie Street there is a teahouse called “Qianxiang”. Every evening, Xiangsheng masters perform here to a packed house. A plate of seeds plus a fully filled teapot and an entrance ticket, which costs about 20-30 yuan.
And you immediately you will find yourself in a cheerful group where you can spend a fun evening with the students of masters Hou Baolin, Ma Sanli or Ying Shoushan and become closely acquainted with this genre of art, which usually includes dialogue, imitation, jokes and singing.
Every evening, half an hour before the start of the performance, the teahouses are usually already packed with spectators. IN the performance usually starts at 7:30, since the hall is already full, those who did not have time to order tickets have to sit in the back rows or in the corridors.
The stages in teahouses are very low, so that the performers are literally in direct contact with the audience. Spectators detect the smallest facial expressions of the artist, and which usually hides something very funny or even an explosion of laughter.
The ticket is inexpensive: 20-30 yuan, which is affordable for everyone. Beijing fans of comic dialogue also come here during the holidays or on weekends.
Tips for tourists visiting Tianjin city
1. Addresses of Tianjin teahouses, where comic dialogue artists perform
- Teahouse "Minglyu": at the intersection of st. Xinhua and st. Harbin, 177 st. Xinhua, Heping District, On the second floor of the House of Culture of Heping District, Tianjin City
Small Hall of the Bolshoi Chinese Theater: at the crossroads of st. Harbin and st. Heping, 104 Harbin St. - Teahouse "Yanle": 66 st. Rongji, Heping District.
- Teahouse "Qianxian" in the Gazebo "Chomingo": on the street. Guijie at the intersection of the street. Chenxiangdonglu and St. Baymalu.
- Tianlu teahouse in Quanyechang shopping center: on the seventh floor of the shopping center. Entrance to the elevator on the street. Bingjiangdao
Dabeiyuan Temple
The Temple of Great Compassion, northeast of the Old City, is the busiest Buddha shrine in the city. It dates back to the 17th century and its sculptural decoration, destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, was restored in 1980. The structure follows the usual pattern. The main figure in the main hall is Shakyamuni Buddha. In the next room, the 24-armed Guanyin is revered. Tianwei Lu 26. Opening hours: Tue.-Sun. 9.00-16.30.
Ancient Culture Street (Gu Wenhua Jie)
On the banks of the Huaihe, adjacent to the east of the Old City, Ancient Culture Street, a pedestrian zone with arts and crafts shops, was developed. The buildings are new, but built in a traditional architectural style. In the center there is a square, on the western side of which stands the Palace of the Heavenly Empress (Tianhougong), a temple founded in 1326 and restored after the Cultural Revolution, it is dedicated to the patroness of sailors. Opening hours: daily. 9.00-16.45.
Old city
Temple of Confucius
The complex was founded in the 15th century. The Confucius Temple, covering an area of more than 1 hectare, pleases the eye with its tranquil atmosphere. In the main hall one can see vaulted zithers, which were once played at festivities in honor of the great Teacher; the side rooms are used for exhibitions. Opening hours: Tue.-Sun. 9.00-16.00.
Old Town Museum
The building, built during the Republic era at the expense of a wealthy citizen of Tianjin, (nowadays the Old Town Museum is located here), in itself is a wonderful exhibit. Its premises display a wide variety of items: from kitchen utensils to wedding dresses, which allows you to get acquainted with the life of the city in bygone decades. Dongmennei Dajie 202. Opening hours: daily. 9.00-17.00.
Theater Museum
When the guild of Cantonese merchants trading in Tianjin erected an impressive meeting house and temporary apartments in the traditional architectural style in 1907, they also built a theater hall in it. Performances are sometimes performed on its stage to this day; in the adjacent rooms photographs, programs and other evidence of the history of this theater are exhibited. Nanmennei Dajie 31. Opening hours: Tue.-Sun. 9.00-16.00.
Hepingqu District
The Hepingqu area has the most evidence of the colonial era. It stretches from the southeastern edge of the Old City to Machang Dao Street in the south and from the Huaihe River in the east to Nanmenwai Dajie and Weijin Lu streets in the west. From north to south, the former concession areas of Japan are located here (to Jinzhou Dao and Nanjing Lu streets), France (before Yingkou Dao) and Great Britain. Heping Lu Street, which was once called Asahi Road in the north and Rue de Chaylard in the south, is now the main business street of Tianjin.
Jiefang Beiiu
The atmosphere of bygone times is preserved by the century-old bank buildings on Jiefang Beilu Street, once Rue de France in the north and Victoria Road in the south. It is also home to the symbol of Tianjin's hotel industry - the traditional Astor Lishunde.
French church
If you go west from Jiefang Beilu, you can see a French church at the end of Binjiang Dao Street (Lao Xikai Tianzhu Jiaotang), built and painted in 1913-1916. in the style of neo-romanticism; this is the largest church in the city.
Wuda Dao
The five large streets in the British concession area, a little south of the French church, are not very wide and do not have impressive buildings, but the colonial atmosphere has been preserved almost intact. Six streets are protected as monuments: Chengdu Dao (London Road), Chongqing Dao (Edinburgh Road),Changde Dao (Colombo Road) Dali Dao (Singapore Road), Munan Dao (Hong Kong Road) and Machang Dao (Race Course Road) between Kunming Lu in the west and Hebei Lu in the east. Here you can see two hundred and thirty villas that belonged, in particular, to the British, French and Germans. More information about the history of concessions can be found at the Tianjin Museum of Contemporary History, Hebei Lu 314. Opening hours: Mon.-Fri. 9.00-17.00.
Tianjin Museum
For its 600th anniversary in 2004, the city received a stunning new museum. It combines the collections of the former art museum and the city history museum. An exhibition on the history of the city is located on the second floor: antique bronze vessels, porcelain, calligraphy, ink painting and trowel stones. On the floor above, photographs, large dioramas and other exhibits clearly illustrate the city's history. Youyi Lu, Pinjiang Dao corner. Opening hours: daily. 9.00-17.00 (entrance until 16.00).
How to get there
Tianjin is a major transport hub with connections to all important Chinese cities and foreign countries. From Tianjin Airport (southeast of the city), planes fly to all major Chinese cities, as well as Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore.
Purchases
Tianjin is famous for New Year's popular prints "Yangliuqing", made in a traditional manner, which are replicated in large quantities; You can buy them, for example, opposite the Tianhougong Temple on Culture Street. Another popular product is caricature clay figures of people engaged in daily activities: Zhang Caisu Clay Figure Workshop, Machang Dao 202.
In the Chinese tradition, naming cities and towns is figurative, but in this case the name of the city also has a specific meaning. Tianjin arose near the confluence of the Haihe, Beiyunhe and Nanyunhe rivers in a place called the “Heavenly Ford”, or in the most ancient sources “The sea mouth of three connecting” (“connecting” - of course, rivers, but for some reason this word is omitted). The word “heavenly” here implies “of divine origin.” The “Ford” is located near the “Big Water” - this is, firstly, the Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea, and secondly, the Great Chinese Canal, the northern, final part of which was laid in the 13th century. not far from the village that Tianjin was at that time. Through the canal you can reach the great rivers and. And the Haihe (Sea) River, which flows into the bay, although short, is deep, and has an extensive network of tributaries through which one can reach Beijing. 72 of the 102 km of the Haihe current pass directly through Tianjin, counting from its confluence with the Waihe tributary.A city under central control is not only a city itself in China, but also a special territory that includes rural areas. In this case, part of the province, bordering the territory of Beijing in the northwest. Tianjin is the fourth city on the list with this status after Beijing, Chongqing and Shanghai.
The land on which Tianjin stands was a seabed four thousand years ago. The Yellow River then had a different course. The sea retreated under the pressure of its sediment, consisting of sedimentary rocks carried out from the Loess Plateau. About two thousand years ago, this river changed its course several times. Around 602 BC. e. The Yellow River finally retreated to the south, and Haihe began to connect it with the gulf. Saltworks and salt mining villages arose on the site of the future city. In 1404 they received the name Tianjin wei. Later, the “Left Guard of the Heavenly Ford” - Tianjin Zuowei and the “Right Guard of the Heavenly Ford” - Tianjin Yuwei were added to it. In 1652, they all became a single Tianjin, whose military and civil administration settled in the Dagu forts at the mouth of the Haihe, in the Tanggu region.
In 1725, the Tianjin district was formed, in 1731 - the Tianjin government, to which 6 counties were subordinate, and the position of “viceroy Zhili” was established (as the highest dignitary was called during the Manchu Qing dynasty) with a residence in Tianjin. During the Second Opium War (1856-1860), in 1860, Anglo-French troops captured the forts of Dagu, Tianjin became their base and, with the sanction of the emperor, the “sea gate of Beijing”. From that moment on, foreign concessions began to operate here, and the city grew rapidly.
In 1900, during the uprising of the Yihetuan (“detachments of harmony and justice”) against the dominance of foreigners in the Chinese economy, the rebels were defeated, and for two years Tianjin was under the direct control of England and France. In 1911, after the fall of the Qing dynasty, the Republic of China emerged, which from 1912 became a real political force and conflicted with the heads of foreign concessions. In 1928, Kuomintang troops were brought into the city, and the administrative unit “Tianjin Special City” was formed. In 1930, the capital of Hebei Province was moved here.
In 1935, capital status was transferred to the city of Baoding, and Tianjin's rights as a city of central subordination were returned. During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the Japanese took control of first the British and then the French concessions. After the army of the Communist Party of China entered Tianjin in January 1949, this period in the history of the city ended. The new government confirmed the previous status of the city of central subordination in the same 1949, and canceled it in 1958. In 1967, the city regained it.
The central city of Tianjin is located in the northeastern part of the Great Chinese Plain on both banks of the Haihe River. It faces the northern end of the Great Canal of China and the western part of the Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea. The main relief is urban, the Tianjin zone is flat, and not far from the city there are picturesque rocky formations covered with forests.
Tianjin is, on the one hand, a typically Chinese city, but there are places in it where you get the impression that you are in Europe.
We are not talking about skyscrapers, which every Chinese metropolis now has. Next to ancient temples, a sea of small shops on pedestrian streets, where they sell, it seems, everything that the skillful hands and tenacious intellect of the Chinese can produce, behind the Liberation Bridge, built by the French in 1903, is the Five Avenues quarter. This is a total of 230 buildings of European architecture, many of which look exactly like houses in London, Paris or Florence.
In the 1920-1930s. In addition to Europeans, Chinese from among the highest local officials also settled here. In Tianjin there is a local Venice - decorative and, one might say, overly imitative to the detriment of good taste. However, taking a ride along these canals with their bridges and the likes of Venetian palaces on the banks is certainly a pleasure. But the truly beautiful Chinese recreation area in Tianjin is the unique Water Park.
From the middle of the 19th century. In Tianjin, English, French, Austro-Hungarian, Russian and other European entrepreneurs worked under concession agreements: they built, set up and launched enterprises, managed them, trained young people and then collaborated with them. At this time, the city acquired an appearance that was in many ways different from other Chinese cities, without changing its main traditions - this is basically impossible in China. Until 1980, there was an Orthodox Church of the Intercession in the city, supported by the Russian community of China; it was demolished due to the destruction received during the earthquake. And the Catholic Cathedral of St. Joseph survived, although at one time the Red Guards tried to destroy it, and they almost succeeded. Since then, the cathedral has been under state protection.
The union of European and Chinese is embodied in the unique local Porcelain Museum in an old French mansion. Its owner, Chang Lianshi, collected thousands of fine Chinese porcelains from the Tang era (618-907) to the Qing era (1644-1911). Four dragons, whose scales are shards of porcelain, guard the house outside.
The time of concessions is forever gone, but economic bridges with Europe in Tianjin are still particularly strong. They are facilitated by considerable foreign investment, which local businesses receive not only from huaqiao - Chinese-born businessmen from abroad, but also from the same pragmatic Europeans. The symbol of this time was the most famous of all the many bridges in the city today - Yongle, more often called the “Eye of Tianjin”, as well as the Ferris wheel installed on it, operating since 2008. The bridge looks unusually impressive from the water, especially in the evening.
Well, for those who are closer to Chinese antiquity, you need to visit the suburb of Tianjin - the town of Yanliuqing. This is the birthplace of a special artistic genre - New Year's popular prints on wood, the style of which dates back to the 17th century. and remains unchanged. Getting to know the monasteries and pagodas on the slopes and peaks of the Tianjin mountains is a separate and unforgettable way to experience the very spirit of this region.
On August 12, 2015, Tianjin experienced a tragedy. At the port, in the new area of Binhai, two explosions occurred in warehouses with dangerous chemicals, and a huge fire broke out. 173 people were killed, 800 were injured, and more than 10 were missing. During the investigation, it turned out that safety rules for storing hazardous substances were violated, logistics schemes were not followed, and residential buildings, contrary to regulations, were built too close to the docks. The most stringent measures were taken to eliminate the causes of the accident and punish those responsible: in China this always happens in such cases, and therefore you can be sure that this kind of incident will never happen again here.
general information
A city under the central government, one of four such cities in China.Other names: Jingu, Kinmen; short - Jin.
Administrative division: 15 districts and 1 county.
Languages: official - Chinese (Mandarin), colloquial - Tianjin dialect, significantly different from Mandarin.
Ethnic composition: Han - 97.3%, others - 2.7%.
Religions: the inhabitants of Tianjin reverence the sea goddess Tian-hou Mazu more than all the saints; in addition, they adhere to Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism; Christians - 1.51%.
Currency unit: Yuan.
Largest river: Haihe.
Port (outport): Tangu.
Airport: Tianjin Binhai (international).
Numbers
Area: historical city - 11.8 km 2, with suburbs - 174.9 km 2, region - 5606.9 km 2.Suburban population: 11,524,238 people (2014).
Population of the region: 15,200,000 people (2014).
Population density in the region: 2711 people/km 2 .
Distance to the sea coast: 50 km.
Climate and weather
Tianjin is characterized by three types of climate: monsoonal subtropical, humid continental with a clear change of seasons and semi-desert.It rains mainly in summer.
Average January temperature: -2.8°C.
Average temperature in July: +26.9°C.
Average annual precipitation: 545 mm.
Economy
GRP: CNY 1572 billion ($255.95 billion) - 2014GRP per capita: CNY 106,795 ($17,385) -2014
Minerals: deposits of oil, salt, manganese, boron, geothermal sources.
Industry: petrochemical, metal processing, engineering, textile, food, automotive, Airbus prefabricated manufacturing, Tianjin High-Tech Industrial Park, National Supercomputer Center and other technology development zones.
Port industry.
Service sector: business services, educational, medical, transport services, telecommunications, trade, tourism.
Attractions
Pedestrian streets
Gulou with Gulou (Drum) Tower, Hepinglu, Guwenhuajie - Ancient culture.■ Tianhou Temple (1326).
■ Temple of Confucius (1436).
■ Buddhist monastery of Dabeiyuan (Great Compassion), founded in the 5th century. BC e., surviving buildings - 1611
■ Baecheng Stone Tree Park.
■ Stone Yard Yves (1875).
■ Venetian Village (ornamental shopping complex).
■ Antiques market.
Museums
Tianjin Ethnographic Museum, Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Museum, private Huayuan Museum (objects of Chinese applied art from different centuries), private Porcelain Museum, Princess Heshuo House Museum.■ Park on the water.
■ Tianta TV Tower.
■ Yongle Bridge (“Eye of Tianjin”),
Out of city
Temple of Lonely Happiness, or Solitary Joy, as well as the Temple of the Big Buddha (113 km), 10th century, and the Guanyin Tam Pavilion; Panshan Mountains 12 km (72 temples and 13 pagodas), Jiulong (Nine Dragons) 20 km, Basianshan Mountains (Eight Saints) 35 km, Yangtsun Park 80 km, a section of the Great Wall of China 126 km, in the area of Huangyaguan.■ Jinnan National Agricultural Science and Technology Park.
■ Qinhuangdao resort on the shores of Bohai Bay.
Curious facts
■ In addition to the porcelain Buddha statue in the Temple of Lonely Happiness, the statue of the goddess Guanyin, 16 m high, is also especially revered. It is also porcelain and has safely survived 28 earthquakes, which has convincingly proven its mission as a character in Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese mythology - to be a protector from natural disasters, patroness of women and children. The external image of this goddess, which is typical in this case, is associated with the Buddhist tradition, while Guanyin appears among the deities in almost all faiths of China.■ The sea goddess Mazu in Tianjin has been revered since 1326, not only here. All Chinese sailors, fishermen and coastal residents in general consider her their patroness. There is also a legend about her. Once upon a time there was a girl born into the family of a fisherman named Lin. In the first month of her life, she did not make a sound, and they named her Lin Monyan - “silent girl Lin.” She swam across the sea on a mat and reached islands on the clouds. Once she saved her brothers who were drowning in the sea. At the age of 28, she ascended to heaven, and all seas, rivers and lakes became subject to her, she can stop floods and typhoons, and you cannot make her angry, otherwise the water element will begin to rage again. From the 13th century Lin Monyan began to be called Tian-fei Mazu (Heavenly Concubine), and from the end of the 17th century. - Tian-hou Mazu (Heavenly Empress).
■ Since 2009, the National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin has been operating one of the most powerful systems of this class in the world - the Tianhe-1 A supercomputer. It performs multi-level calculations from different fields of science and carries out complex 40-simulation. When an explosion occurred in the port of Tianjin in 2015, Tianhe-1 A was shut down for five days to determine how much damage it had suffered. And it turned out that everything was in order: the blast wave could not break the protection of the most complex device.
■ The Hese (Harmony) high-speed train covers a distance of 120 km from Beijing to Tianjin in half an hour.
■ The Great Chinese Canal as a whole is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the oldest operating hydraulic structure on Earth, built since the 6th century. BC e. to the 13th century
■ Streets in Tianjin, like in many other Chinese cities, are called “dao”: for example, Harbin-dao. The simplest translation of this word is “path”, nothing special. But let’s not forget that “Tao” for the Chinese is a polysyllabic philosophical concept. Therefore, they treat the choice of a street for housing, its history and features with great inner trepidation, just like the street on which they were born.
■ The porcelain shards that line the dragons in the porcelain house are also historical. Since ancient times in China, unsuccessful porcelain products were broken, and poor people collected them, hid them, kept them from generation to generation and happily gave them to the owner of the museum.
