In terms of urban population, Tianjin is the seventh largest city in China. In terms of administrative area population, Tianjin ranks fifth in mainland China.[8] The walled city of Tianjin was built in 1404. As atreaty port since 1860, Tianjin has been a seaport and gateway to Beijing. During theBoxer Rebellion, the city was the seat of theTianjin Provisional Government. Under theQing dynasty and the Republic of China, Tianjin became one of the largest cities in the region.[9] At that time, European-style buildings andmansions were constructed in concessions, some of which are preserved today. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Tianjin suffered a depression due to the policy of the central government and the1976 Tangshan earthquake; however, it has been recovering since the 1990s.[10] Tianjin is classified as the largest type of port city, a Large-PortMegacity, due to its large urban population and port traffic volume.[11]
Tianjin is thepinyin spelling of theChinese characters天津. The name literally means 'the ford of the emperor'. The origin of the name is disputed. One traditional theory says that it was an homage to theChupoetQu Yuan, whose "Li Sao" includes the verse "... departing from the Ford of Heaven at dawn ..." (朝發軔於天津兮;zhāo fārèn yú Tiānjīn xī). Another says that it honors the former name of theGirl, aChinese constellation recorded under the nameTianjin in the Astronomical Record section of theBook of Sui. A third says that it derives from a place name noted in the River Record of the History ofJin. The most common theory says that it was bestowed by theYongle Emperor of theMing, who crossed Tianjin'sGu River on his way south to overthrow his nephew, theJianwen Emperor.[20]
Prior to the introduction of pinyin, the city's name was historically romanized asTientsin in theChinese postal romanization. The current English spelling of Tianjin was adopted in 1958, after pinyin was introduced by the PRC government. Several countries, international organizations and media outlets have adopted the pinyin name since 1979. TheGovernment of the Republic of China (ROC) has continued to use the postal and Wade–Giles spelling since the adoption of pinyin by the ROC government in 2009.
The land where Tianjin is now located was created in between 900 and 1300 CE by the sediments of rivers entering the sea at theBohai Gulf, including the Yellow River, which entered the open sea in the area at one time. The construction of theGrand Canal under theSui dynasty helped the future development of Tianjin, as the canal ran fromHangzhou to theBeijing and Tianjin region by 609 CE. Grain from southern China was regularly transported to the north through the canal and was used during the subsequent dynasties. Tianjin began to be increasingly mentioned in records during theSong dynasty and gained importance during theYuan dynasty. Tianjin experienced development under the Yuan and became a location for the storage of goods and grains. Tianjin became a garrison town and shipping station during theMing dynasty; it was a center of commerce by the 17th century.[21]
During theQing dynasty (1644–1911), the TianjinPrefecture, orZhou (州), was established in 1725, and Tianjin County was established within the prefecture in 1731. Later, it became anurban prefecture orFu (府), before becoming a relay station (駐地) under the command of theViceroy of Zhili.
In 1856, Chinese soldiers boardedThe Arrow, a Chinese-owned ship registered in Hong Kong that flew the British flag and which was suspected of piracy, smuggling, and involvement in the opium trade. The soldiers captured twelve men and imprisoned them. In response, the British and French sent gunboats under the command ofAdmiral Sir Michael Seymour to capture theTaku forts near Tianjin in May 1858. At the end of the first part of theSecond Opium War in June of the same year, the British and French prevailed, and theTreaty of Tientsin was signed, which opened Tianjin (Tientsin) to foreign trade. The treaties were ratified by theXianfeng Emperor in 1860, so Tianjin was formally opened to Great Britain and France and thus to the outside world. Between 1895 and 1900, Britain and France were joined by Japan, Germany andRussia, and some countries without Chineseconcessions, such asAustria-Hungary, Italy andBelgium, in establishing self-containedconcessions in Tianjin, each with its own prisons, schools, barracks and hospitals.[22] These nations left architectural reminders of their rule, which include churches and thousands of villas.
The presence of foreign influence in Tianjin was not always peaceful; one violent incident was that of theTianjin Church Massacre. In June 1870, the orphanage held by the Wanghailou Church (translated as Church Our Lady's Victories[citation needed]) in Tianjin, which built by FrenchRoman Catholic missionaries, was accused of kidnapping and brainwashing Chinese children. On June 21, themagistrate of Tianjin County initiated a conflict at the church that developed into violent clashes between the church's Christian supporters and some non-Christian Tianjin residents. The protesters eventually burned down Wanghailou Church and the nearby French consulate, killing eighteen foreigners, including ten French nuns, the French consul, and merchants. France and six other Western nations complained to the Qing government, which was forced to pay compensation for the incident.
In 1885, Li Hongzhang founded the Tianjin Military Academy (天津武備學堂) for Chinese army officers with German advisors as a part of his military reforms.[23] The academy's founding was supported by theAnhui Army commander Zhou Shengchuan.[23]: 267 The academy was to serve the Anhui Army and theGreen Standard Army officers. The instructors were German officers.[23]: 267 In 1887, the academy started a program to train teenagers to become army officers; the program continued for five years.[23]: 268 Practical and technical subjects including sciences, foreign languages, Chinese literature, mathematics, and history were taught at the school and exams were administered to students. The lessons taught at the Tianjin Military Academy were copied for the Weihaiwei and Shanhaiguan military schools.[23]: 268 A maritime defense fund supplied the budget for the Tianjin Military Academy, which was located in the same area as the Tianjin Naval Academy.[23]: 268 In 1886, the Tianjin Military Academy adoptedRomance of the Three Kingdoms as part of its curriculum.[24] Among its alumni wereWang Yingkai andDuan Qirui; its staff includedYinchang.
In June 1900, theBoxers were able to seize control of parts of Tianjin. On June 26, European defense forces heading towards Beijing were stopped by Boxers at nearbyLangfang; they were defeated and forced to turn back to Tianjin. The foreign concessions were also under siege for several weeks.
The HSBC Tianjin Branch was the first foreign bank in the Tianjin Concession, and the building is now occupied by the Bank of China.The Yokohama Specie Bank Tianjin Branch was a Japanese bank established in Tianjin during the period of Japan's invasion of China. The building is now used by the Bank of China.
In July 1900, theEight-Nation Alliancerecaptured Tianjin. This alliance soon established the Tianjin Provisional Government, which was composed of representatives from each of the occupying forces (Russia, Britain, Japan, Germany, France, America, Austro-Hungary, and Italy). The city was governed by this council until August 15, 1902, when the city was returned to Qing control. Qing GeneralYuan Shikai led efforts to transform Tianjin into a modern city, establishing the first modern Chinese police force. In 1907, Yuan supervised China's first modern democratic elections for a county council.
Major crossing (Rue Général Foch and Rue de Chaylard) of downtown Tianjin in French concession
Western nations were permitted to garrison the area to ensure open access to Beijing. The British maintained a brigade of two battalions in Tianjin, and the Italians, French, Japanese, Germans, Russians, and Austro-Hungarians maintained their forces using strength regiments; the United States did not initially participate. DuringWorld War I, the German and Austro-Hungarian garrisons were captured asprisoners of war byAllied Forces; meanwhile, in 1918, the Bolshevik government withdrew the Russian garrison. In 1920, the remaining participating nations asked the United States to join them, and the US then sent the15th Infantry Regiment, minus one battalion, to Tianjin from the Philippines.
Because of the development of industry, commerce and finance in the city, Tianjin was established as amunicipality of China in 1927. From 1930 to 1935, Tianjin was the provincial capital ofHebei; afterwards, it was reestablished as an independent municipality.
Garrison duty was highly regarded by the troops. GeneralGeorge C. Marshall, the "architect of victory" in World War II, during which he was theChief of Staff of the United States Army, served in Tianjin in the 1920s as the Executive Officer of the 15th Infantry. The US withdrew the infantry unit in 1938, but the nation's presence was maintained by the dispatch of a small US Marine Corps unit from the Embassy Guard at Beijing.
Asahi Street (now Heping Road) in 1939 Tianjin flood
On July 30, 1937, during theSecond Sino-Japanese War, Tianjin fell to Japan, but was not entirely occupied, as the Japanese generally respectedforeign concessions until 1941, whenAmerican and British concessions were occupied. In the summer of 1939, theTientsin Incident damaged Anglo-Japanese relations. On June 14, 1939, theImperial Japanese Army surrounded and blockaded a British concession due to the refusal of British authorities to transfer six Chinese people, who had assassinated a Japanese collaborator and taken refuge in the British concession, to be under Japan's authority. For a time, the events of 1939 appeared likely to cause an Anglo-Japanese war, especially when reports of the Japanese Army mistreating British subjects wishing to leave or enter the concession appeared in British newspapers. The situation ended when British Prime MinisterNeville Chamberlain was advised by theRoyal Navy and the Foreign Office that the only way to force the Japanese to lift the blockade was to send the main British battle fleet to Far Eastern waters, and that given the situation in Europe, it would be inappropriate to send the British fleet out of European waters, thus leading the British to finally turn over the six Chinese people, who were then executed by the Japanese. During the Japanese occupation, Tianjin was ruled by theNorth China Executive Committee, apuppet state based in Beijing.
On August 9, 1940, all of the British troops in Tianjin were ordered to withdraw. On November 14, 1941, the AmericanMarine unit stationed in Tianjin was ordered to leave, but before it left, the Japaneseattacked the United States. The American Marine detachment surrendered to the Japanese on December 8, 1941. Only the Italian and French concessions (the local French officials were loyal toVichy) were allowed by the Japanese to remain. When Italy signed anarmistice with the Allies in September 1943, Japanese troops took the Italian concession, following a battle with its garrison, and theItalian Social Republic formally ceded the concession toWang Jingwei's Japan-controlledpuppet state. Japanese occupation of the city lasted until August 15, 1945, with the surrender of Japan marking the end of World War II.
P.R.China's 10th anniversary parade in Tianjin in 1959
In thePingjin Campaign of the Chinese Civil War, the city was captured after 29 hours of fighting. TheChinese Communist Party (CCP) took Tianjin on January 15, 1949.
From 1949 to February 1958, Tianjin was a municipality directly under the control of the central government. In October 1952,Tanggu New Port officially opened its doors, and the first 10,000-ton ferry arrived at Newport Pier. In February 1958, due to the "Great Leap Forward" and the city's industrial foundation, Tianjin was incorporated intoHebei Province, the capital of which was relocated to Tianjin for eight years. During the period, under the coordination of the State Council, the city of Tianjin implemented a separate policy for central planning, which was independent of Hebei Province. However, a number of factories and colleges in Tianjin moved to Hebei, hindering Tianjin's economic development. In January 1967, due to preparation and concerns that Tianjin would become a battlefield, Hebei Province repatriated its provincial capital to Baoding, and theCCP Central Committee decided that Tianjin should be restored to the central municipality and remain so. In April 1970, since the central government had applied for funding for the construction of the subway, the Tianjin Municipal Government decided to raise funds on its own to establish the project using the name of the channel and by build it on the basis of the old walled river. In July 1973, five counties, including Jixian, Baodi, Wuqing, Jinghai, and Ninghe, were formally placed under the jurisdiction of Tianjin.
On July 28, 1976, during the 7.6 magnitudeTangshan Earthquake, Tianjin was affected by shock waves and experienced a loss of life. In the city, 24,345 people died and 21,497 were seriously injured. 60% of the city's buildings were destroyed and more than 30% of the enterprises and Peking Port Reservoir and Yuqiao Reservoir were seriously damaged. Nearly 700,000 people were left homeless. On October 10 of the same year, the Tianjin Underground Railway was opened to traffic. In 1981, Miyun Reservoir was built on the upper reaches of the Hai River; it is now used to supply water for Beijing; however; the reservoir stopped the river from supplying water to Tianjin, resulting in difficulty with water usage in the city. As a result, during 1976, theState Council of the People's Republic of China decided to initiate a project to solve the problem of water usage in Tianjin by attracting individuals to the city's academic centers.
Monument of TEDA
In 1984, during the beginning of the Chinese government's economic reforms, Tianjin was listed as one of the 14 coastal open cities by the State Council and theTianjin Development Zone's economy began to develop. However, the overall speed of development in Tianjin is still slower than that ofspecial economic zones and that of other southeast coastal areas. In 1994, Tianjin began its industrial shift towards the east and developed theBinhai New Area, with theTianjin Port as its core. In October 2005, theFifth Plenary Session of the 16th CCP Central Committee convened; its meeting decided to incorporate the development and opening of theBinhai New Area into itsEleventh Five-Year Plan and the national development strategy. In March 2006, the State Council executive meeting positioned Tianjin as an "international port city, a northern economic center, and an ecological city." Since then, the dispute between the Beijing-Tianjin economic center at the policy level has come to an end. In May 2006, the State Council approved the Binhai New Area as a national integrated reform pilot area. In June of the same year, the State Council's Opinions on Promoting the Development and Opening of the Tianjin Binhai New Area were announced; they stated the following: "In financial enterprises, financial services, financial markets, and finance Major reforms such as opening up can, in principle, be scheduled to precede the Tianjin Binhai New Area."
In August 2008, China's firsthigh-speed railway, theBeijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway, which has a speed of 350 kilometers per hour, was opened. In August 2008, Tianjin was the co-host city of the29th Olympic Games. In September 2008, the Annual Meeting of the New Champions ofWorld Economic Forum (also calledSummer Davos) began to be established in Tianjin; it is now held every two years.[25] In October 2010, the UN Climate Change Conference convened in Tianjin.[26] In 2012, theTianjin Metro Lines 2, 3, and 9 were completed and open to traffic, and Tianjin Rail Transit was formally networked.
CBD in Tianjin
In October 2013, Tianjin hosted an international comprehensive event for the first time by hosting theEast Asian Games. In 2014, the coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei was officially incorporated into the national strategy; Tianjin was positioned as the National Advanced Manufacturing R&D Base, Northern International Shipping Core Area, Financial Innovation Operation Demonstration Area, and Reform and Opening-up Preceding Area. In the same year, the first phase of theSouth-to-North Water Transfer Project was completed, so water availability in Tianjin increased. On February 26, 2015, the Tianjin National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone was formally established. On April 21, the China (Tianjin) Free Trade Pilot Zone was also formally established. On April 27,Jincheng Bank, the firstprivate bank in northern China, officially opened its doors.
On August 12, 2015, afire and explosion occurred in achemical warehouse inTianjin Port, causing 173 deaths, hundreds of injuries, and property losses.[27]The cost to businesses caused by the explosion was estimated to be $9 billion, making it the most expensive supply chain disruption of 2015.
Population density and low elevation coastal zones in the Tianjin area. Tianjin is particularly vulnerable tosea level rise.Tianjin (labeled as T'IEN-CHIN (TIENTSIN) 天津) (1955)Map of theHai River Basin2011 satellite image of Tianjin. The city center is on the left, while the smaller urban area to the right is theBinhai New Area.Hai River in 2011
Tianjin is located on the west coast of theBohai Gulf; the provinces ofShandong andLiaoning are located across those waters. The city is bordered byBeijing, which is 120 kilometers (75 mi) to the northwest. Tianjin is surrounded on all sides byHebei, with the exception of its eastern border, which is theBohai Sea. With a latitude ranging from 38° 34' to 40° 15' N and a longitude ranging from 116° 43' to 118° 04' E, the total area of the city is 11,860.63 square kilometers (4,579.41 sq mi).
The city has 153 km (95 mi) of coastline and 1,137.48 kilometers (706.80 mi) of land border.[28] It is located at the northern end of theGrand Canal of China, which connects with theYellow andYangtze Rivers. The municipality is generally flat and is swampy near the coast; however, it has hills in the north, where theYan Mountains enter Tianjin. Tidal flats occur on the coastal plain adjacent to the city.[29] The highest point in the municipality isJiuding Peak (九顶山) inJi County on the northern border with Hebei; the mountain has an altitude of 1,078.5 m (3,538 ft).
Tianjin has asemi-arid climate (using theKöppen system, the city has aBSk climate bordering onDwa andCwa). As in other areas of East Asia, the city has a four-season,monsoon-influenced climate; it also has cold, windy, and dry winters due to theSiberian anticyclone and hot, humid summers due to the monsoon season. Spring in the city is dry and windy; the season sometimes consists ofsandstorms blowing in from theGobi Desert, which are capable of lasting for several days. The monthly 24-hour average temperature ranges from −2.8 °C (27.0 °F) in January to 27.2 °C (81.0 °F) in July, with an annual mean of 13.3 °C (55.9 °F). Extreme temperatures in the city at the main weather station in Xiqing District have ranged from −22.9 °C (−9 °F) to 41.1 °C (106 °F).[30] With the monthly percentage of the possible amount of sunshine ranging from 45% in July to 61% in March and April, the city receives 2,460 hours of sunshine annually. Having an annual total precipitation of 521 millimeters (20.5 in), with nearly three-fifths of it occurring in July and August alone, the city lies within thesemi-arid climate zone, although parts of the municipality arehumid continental (KöppenBSk/Dwa, respectively).[31]
Climate data for Tianjin (Dongli District), elevation 2 m (6.6 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1951–present)
In May 2014, the city's administration enacted new laws in an attempt to lower the city's pollution levels. These measures included several methods to restrict pollution on days when is severe, such as by halving the number of vehicles allowed on roads, halting construction and manufacturing activity, closing schools, and halting large-scale outdoor activities.[35]
In the past, flights have also been grounded and highways have been closed.[36]
Foreign-born professional sportsmen have made statements regarding Tianjin's air quality, citing it as an impediment to athletic activity and being thick enough to "taste".[37]
TheTianjin Economic and Technological Development Area (TEDA) is not a formal level of administration, but has rights similar to those of a regular district. At the end of 2017, the total population of Tianjin was 15.57 million.[3]
The "Haibe Industrial Heritage Corridor" is an urban regeneration project that integrates several decommissioned factory sites along theHaibe River. It transforms these historical structures into interconnected public spaces, art galleries, and design studios, creating a linear landscape that narrates Tianjin's industrial past.[43]
Industries includepetrochemical industries, textiles, car manufacturing, mechanical industries, andmetalworking.EADS Airbus is one of the manufacturers in the city, and has opened an assembly plant for itsAirbus A320 series airliners; the plant has been operational since 2009. As of 2010, the fastest supercomputer in the world,Tianhe-1A, has been located at theNational Supercomputing Center of Tianjin. The city's GDP in 2009 was ¥750.1 billion, with a GDP per capita of RMB ¥62,403.[citation needed]
As one of the first state-level economic and technological development zones, theTianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA) was founded on December 6, 1984, with the approval of the State Council. It is given state preferential policies with the task of attracting domestic and foreign investment to develop new technology-oriented modern industries. As an affiliated organization of the Tianjin Municipal Government, the Administrative Commission of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area exercises unified administration of TEDA on behalf of the Tianjin Municipal Government and has provincial-level administrative and economic management rights.[citation needed]
The Tianjin Export Processing Zone is one of the first 15 export processing zones approved by the State Council, having been approved on April 27, 2000. This area is a special enclosed zone. where Customs officials conduct constant administration for commodities transported into and out of the zone. The central government granted the special economic zone preferential policies to attract enterprises in the business of processing and trade to invest in the zone. The Tianjin Export Processing Zone is located to the northeast of TEDA and has a planned area of 2.54 km2 (0.98 sq mi). The area developed in the first phase is 1 square meter (11 sq ft) wide. A permanent wall is built to separate the export processing and non-export processing zones.[46]
The Tianjin Airport International Logistics Zone is jointly invested by the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone and Tianjin Binhai International Airport. It is located inside the airfreight area of Tianjin Binhai International Airport. It has domestic and foreign airfreight logistics enterprises engaged in sorting, warehousing, distribution, processing, and exhibition. It is in the process of constructing the largest airfreight base in northern China.[47]
US CongresswomanNancy Pelosi visiting a Tianjin Qingyuan Electric Vehicle factory in 2009
The Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone is the only free trade zone in northern China. The zone was approved for establishment in 1991 by State Council. It is 30 km (19 mi) from Tianjin city proper, less than 1 km (0.62 mi) away from the wharf,[clarification needed] and 38 km (24 mi) away from Tianjin Binhai International Airport.[48]
Tianjin Tanggu National Marine High-Tech Development Area
The Tianjin Tanggu Marine High-Tech Development Area was established in 1992 and was upgraded to the national-level high-tech development area by the State Council in 1995. It is the only national-level high-tech development area specializing in developing the marine technology industry. By the end of 2008, the zone had 2,068 corporations and 5 industries there, including those for new materials, oil manufacturing, modern machinery manufacturing, and electronic information.[49]
The Tianjin Nangang Industrial Zone is a heavy and chemical industry base and harbor, a part of the"dual-city, dual-harbor" space development strategy of Tianjin, and a zone with acircular economy. The total planned area of Nangang Industrial Zone is 200 km2 (77 sq mi), of which the terrestrial area is 162 km2 (63 sq mi).[citation needed]
Tianjin Municipality has deposits of about 1 billiontonnes of petroleum, withDagang District containingoilfields. Salt production is also one of the city's industries, with Changlu Yanqu being one of China's salt production areas.[clarify]Geothermal energy is another resource of Tianjin. Deposits ofmanganese andboron under Tianjin were the first to be found in China.[50]
The TianjinBinhai New Area (TBNA) is located at the juncture of the Beijing-Tianjin City Belt and the Circum-Bohai City Belt. It is the gateway to North China, Northeast China, and Northwest China. Lying in the center of Northeast Asia, it is the nearest point of departure of the Eurasian Continental Bridge.[51]
Population size may be affected by changes on administrative divisions.
At the end of 2009, the population of Tianjin Municipality was 12.28 million, of which 9.8 million owned and lived in Tianjinhukou (permanent residences). Among permanent residents of Tianjin, 5.99 million lived in urban areas, while 3.81 million lived in rural ones.[52] Tianjin has recently shifted to population growth; its population had reached 14.72 million as of the end of 2013.[53]
The encompassingmetropolitan area was estimated by theOECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) to have, as of 2010[update], a population of 15.4 million.[54][55]
The majority of Tianjin residents areHan Chinese. People from 51 out of the 55 minor Chinese ethnic groups live in Tianjin.Minorities with higher populations in the city includeHui,Korean,Manchu, andMongol people.
Tianjin People's Broadcasting Station is a radio station in Tianjin. Broadcasting for nine channels, it serves most of North China, as well as a part ofEast and Northeast China, reaching an audience of over 100 million.[57]Tianjin Television, the local television station, broadcasts on nine channels. It also has a paiddigital channel, which featureshome improvement programs.[58][non-primary source needed] Both the radio and television stations are now branches of the Tianjin Film, Radio and Television Group, which was established in October 2002.[59][non-primary source needed]
The first German newspaper in northern China,Tageblatt für Nordchina (also spelled asTageblatt für Nord China), was published in Tianjin, which was known asTientsin at the time.[63]
In 1912, Tianjin had 17 Chinese-language newspapers and five daily newspapers in other languages. None of the newspapers in the Tianjin district were trade papers. Of the foreign language newspapers, three were in English; the other two were in French and German, respectively. Newspapers from Tianjin published in the city includedChina Critic,Peking and Tientsin Times,The China Times,[64]Tageblatt für Nordchina,L'Écho de Tientsin,China Tribune,Ta Kung Pao (L'Impartial),Min Hsing Pao, andJih Jih Shin Wen Pao (Tsientsin Daily News).[65] Newspapers fromBeijing published in Tianjin includedPei Ching Jih Pao,Peking Daily News, andLe Journal de Peking.[64]
In 1930, the newspaperDeutsch-Mandschurische Nachrichten[13] moved fromHarbin to Tianjin and changed its name to theDeutsch-Chinesische Nachrichten.[66]
China's leading Internet information providers (which are usually located in Beijing), including social networksSina Weibo andDouban, as well as the online video websiteSohu, have been increasingly relocating their censorship departments to Tianjin, where labor costs are cheaper than in Beijing, as censorship is a type oflabor-intensive work. In fact, Tianjin is considered to have become the censorship capitol for Chinese Internet.[13][67]
The city's streetscapes incorporate nineteenth and early twentieth-centuryEuropean architecture, juxtaposed with the concrete and glass monoliths of contemporary China. Though areas of the city are being redeveloped, much of thecolonial architecture has been placed under protection.
In the nineteenth century, the port city caught the attention of the seafaring Western powers, who used the boarding of a British ship by Chinese troops as an excuse to declare war. Using armed gunboats, they were victorious; theTreaty of Tianjin, signed in 1856, gave the Europeans the right to establish nineconcessionary bases on the mainland, from which they could conduct trade and sell opium. These concessions, which were along the banks of theHai River, were self-contained European communities; the French builtchâteaux and towers, while the Germans constructed red-tiled Bavarian villas. Tensions between the indigenous population and the foreigners were noticeable in theTianjin Incident of 1870, which occurred when a Chinese mob attacked a French-run orphanage, and again during theBoxer Rebellion in 1900, after which foreigners leveled the walls surrounding the old Chinese city to enable them to watch its residents.[citation needed]
The old city was razed entirely during 2000 and 2001 to make way for new developments. Only several old buildings, such as the Tianjin Temple of Confucius, remain.
The network of ex-concession streets south and west of the central train station and south of the Hai River now constitute the areas of most interest to visitors. The châteaux of the French concession now make up the downtown district just south of the river and mansions that the British built are east of the area. Farther east and south of the river, the architecture has a slight German construction.
People from Tianjin speak theTianjin dialect ofMandarin, from which it is derived. Despite its proximity to Beijing, the Tianjin dialect sounds different from theBeijing dialect, which provides the basis forPutonghua (Standard Chinese).
Tianjin is known for its stand-up comedy and comedians, includingGuo Degang andMa Sanli.Ma Sanli (1914–2003), an ethnicHui person and longtime resident of Tianjin, was known for hisxiangsheng, a form of Chinese entertainment akin to stand-up comedy. Ma Sanli delivered some of hisxiangsheng in theTianjin dialect. Tianjin, along with Beijing, is a center for the art ofxiangsheng. Tianjin's general style of stand-up also includes the use of rhythmic bamboo clappers (kuaiban).[68]
On September 28, 2015, theJuilliard School inManhattan,New York City announced an expansion into Tianjin during a visit by China's first lady,Peng Liyuan. At the time, the school had plans to offer amaster's degree program. The visit was the institution's first full-scale foray outside the United States.[69]
Jianbing guozi (Chinese:煎饼果子;pinyin:Jiānbǐng guǒzi) is a popular Tianjin street food consisting of a thin mung bean flour pancake wrapped around deep-fried dough sticks and flavored with sauces and green onions.In June 2017, the skill of makingjianbing guozi was included in the municipal intangible cultural heritage list in Tianjin,[70] and it is said to be "one of China's most beloved street breakfasts",[71] especially in Tianjin and the neighboring province ofHebei.
Guobacai, a traditional Tianjin snack, consists of shredded mung bean pancakes served in a flavorful gravy. It is characterized by its savory sauce, which is typically enriched with toppings like sesame paste and a distinctive fermented bean curd sauce.
Kiessling Restaurant, a Western-style culinary institution founded in Tianjin in 1907
Tianjin cuisine places a focus on seafood, due to Tianjin's proximity to the sea. It can be further classified into several varieties, including rough (Chinese:粗; pinyin:cū), smooth (simplified Chinese:细; traditional Chinese:細; pinyin:xì), and high (Chinese:高; pinyin:gāo) cuisine. Menu options include the Eight Great Bowls (Chinese:八大碗; pinyin:Bādà wǎn), a combination of eight main meat dishes, and the Four Great Stews (Chinese:四大扒; pinyin:sì dà bā), which actually refers to a large number of stews, which may include chicken, duck, seafood, beef, andmutton.
Baozi
The four foods that are considered to be delicacies of Tianjin includeGoubulibaozi, Guifaxiang Shibajie Mahua (Chinese:十八街麻花; pinyin:shíbā jiē máhuā), Erduoyan Zhagao (Chinese:耳朵眼炸糕; pinyin:erduoyǎn zhà gāo) and MaobuwenJiaozi (Chinese:猫不闻饺子; pinyin:māo bù wén jiǎozi). Known foods include Caoji donkey meat, Bazhen sheep-leg mutton of Guanshengyuan, Luji Tangmian Zhagao, Baiji Shuijiao, Gaogan of Zhilanzhai, Guobacai of Dafulai, Subao of Shitoumenkan and Xiaobao chestnut. These snacks are available in Nanshi Food Street, which has food from Tianjin.
The transportation system in Tianjin is considered to be relatively effective, inclusive andsustainable. The city received theSustainable Transport Award for 2024 due to its efforts to improve and expandnon motorized andpublic transport, as well as to make itaccessible. The policy of the city had an impact on policies at the regional and country level and received support from the World Bank (transportation in Tianjin is its biggest investment in this domain). According to a statement of the Institute for Transportation & Development about policy that resulted in the award, "Thus, the city's recent investments into sustainable mobility policy and infrastructure have the potential to serve as a model for the rest of China, as the nation works towards achieving carbon neutrality before 2060."[72][73]
ThePort of Tianjin is China's largest artificial deep water harbor; its throughput capacity is the fifth largest in the world. Located in the Binhai Economic Zone, a national new economic zone of China, Tianjin Harbor is a port for international cruises visiting the wider area, includingBeijing.
Tianjin's harbor area of Binhai/TEDA has a modern, high-speed rubber-tired tram system; it is the first of its kind in China and Asia. Constructed in 2006, the system marked a return of the tram to Tianjin, which once had a standard steel-wheeled tramway network. The original Tianjin tram network was constructed by a Belgian company[74] in 1904 and opened in 1906. It was the first citywide tramway system in China. It closed in 1972.
TheTianjin Metro was formerly operated by two companies, Tianjin Metro General Corporation and Tianjin Binhai Mass Transit Development Company. However, in 2017, the two companies merged to form the Tianjin Rail Transit Group Corporation. It is currently under expansion to create five to nine lines.[citation needed] A total of six lines are currently operating in the city and the Binhai area. As of April 2019, the entire network ofTianjin Metro has 155 stations and 6 lines.
Construction work on the Tianjin Metro started on July 4, 1970. It was the second metro to be built in China and commenced service in 1984. The total length of track was 7.4 kilometers (5 mi). The metro service was suspended on October 9, 2001, for reconstruction. The original line is now part ofLine 1 of the new metro system. It was reopened to the public in June 2006. The track was extended to 26.2 km (16.280 mi);[75] there is now a total of 22 stations. Construction work on Line 2 and Line 3 was completed in 2012; the two lines are now in operation. Several new metro lines have been planned.
The two rapid transit operators in Tianjin are responsible for the service as follows:
Tianjin Metro General Corporation operates Lines 1, 2, 3 and 6.
Tianjin Binhai Mass Transit Development Company. operates Lines 5 and 9
There are several railway stations in the city,Tianjin railway station being one of them. It was built in 1888. The station was initially located at Wangdaozhuang (simplified Chinese:旺道庄; traditional Chinese:旺道莊; pinyin:Wàngdàozhuāng). The station was later moved to Laolongtou (simplified Chinese:老龙头; traditional Chinese:老龍頭; pinyin:Lǎolóngtóu) on the banks of theHai He River in 1892; as a result, the station was renamed as Laolongtou Railway Station. The station was completely rebuilt in 1988. The rebuilding work began on April 15, 1987, and was finished on October 1, 1988. The Tianjin Railway Station is also locally known as the 'East Station', due to its geographic position. In January 2007, the station began another long-term restructuring project to modernize the facility as part of the larger Tianjin transport hub project, which involvesTianjin Metro lines 2, 3, and 9, as well as the Tianjin-Beijing High-Speed Rail.
The inter-city trains between Beijing and Tianjin will adopt a new numbering system using the letter C (C stands for InterCity) followed by four numbers. The train numbers range between C2001 and C2298. The number ranges are divided into three different groups, which provide information about where a train will go:
C2001–C2198: Directly from Beijing South Station to Tianjin
C2201–C2268: From Beijing South Station to Tianjin, with stops at Wuqing Station (武清站)
C2271–C2298: From Beijing South Station to Yujiapu Railway Station in Tianjin[76]
The new C trains take 30 minutes to travel between Beijing and Tianjin; the trains make the journey with half the time used by the previous D trains. The ticket price, as of Aug 15, 2008, is 69RMB for first-class seating and 58 RMB for second-class seating.
Some roads and bridges, such asMinquan Gate andBeiyang Road, have retained names given to them while theRepublic of China (1912–1949) was in power. As in other cities in China, some roads in Tianjin are named after Chinese provinces and cities. Unlike Beijing, Tianjin has few roads that run parallel to the fourcardinal directions.
Tianjin has three ring roads. The Inner and Middle Ring Roads are not closed, traffic-controlled roadways and some often have traffic light intersections. The Outer Ring Road is similar to a highway-level ring road. The road experiences traffic.
Some residents of Tianjin participate inindigenous religious practices, such as the worship ofMazu, a sea goddess. Tianjin also contains theTemple of Great Compassion (aBuddhist temple),St. Joseph's Cathedral (aCatholic cathedral also known as Laoxikai Church), andOur Lady of Victory Church (a Catholic church also known as Wanghailou Church). ARoman Catholic Diocese of Tianjin exists.[78] According to the Chinese General Social Survey of 2009, Christians constitute 1.51% of the city's population.[79] Tianjin has been described as a historically "strong center" ofIslam in China.[80] Northwestern Tianjin has traditionally been the location of the Muslim quarter of the city, where Muslims have lived for centuries; the area is near the city's Great Mosque,Qingzhen si, which was founded in 1703.[81][82] The city also contains the Dahuoxiang Mosque.[83]
For some centuries, Tianjin and Beijing had been considered centers for traditional Chinese martial arts. Formerly and currently practiced martial arts includingbajiquan,piguazhang,xingyiquan, andbaguazhang have been practiced in the city.[84][85][86] The martial arts that the city is known most for are Hong Qiao and Nankai. Martial artists practice in public green spaces such asXigu Park and theTianjin Water Park.
Tianjin Yaohua Middle School (天津市耀华中学) was founded in 1927. It was previously known as Tianjin Gongxue by Lefeng Zhuang; it was renamed as Tianjin Yaohua Middle School in 1934.
Tianjin No. 21 High School (天津第二十一中學) (formerly Fahan College—法漢學堂; 'College'), was founded in 1895. The French ambassador to China and consul general in Tianjin called it the French academy. It was renamed "工部局學校" in 1902, before moving to its current address in 1916, when it was renamed Fahan College (法漢學堂); in French, it is still known as "Ecole Municipale Francaise". The school is located in an area with political and cultural education in Heping district and is adjacent to the largest Catholic church in northern China; thus, the main building of the school has retained its church-like appearance. The school covers an area of 10.1mu (6.7 km2); the building's floor has an area of 10,300 square meters.
Tianjin Tianjin High School (天津市天津中学)
Tianjin Fuxing High School (天津市复兴中学)
Tianjin Ruijing High School (天津市瑞景中学)
The Foreign Languages School Affiliated with the Tianjin Foreign Studies University (TFLS;天津外国语学院附属外国语学校)[92][non-primary source needed]
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