Tianjin’s
location in the middle of North China’s gold coast was
a natural setting to be developed as a trading port. Today Tianjin
has China’s largest container wharf and ships from every
country of the world use its facilities. Major domestic and
international airlines serve the coastal international airport.
Tianjin also is a very important railway junction terminal for
the two main lines: Tianjin to Shandong and Tianjin to Shanghai.
A nice and relaxing way to travel along the gold coast is by
train. You can obtain the train ticket from your hotel concierge.
You can also rent a car and explore the city outskirts, still
an almost unknown area to most foreign visitors.
Tianjin
lies in a temperate zone and it enjoys four distinct seasons
a year. The average yearly temperate is only 13C with hot summers
(in July the temperature can be higher that 26C) and freezing
temperatures in January. The best periods to visit Tianjin are
spring and autumn when pleasant temperatures can be expected.
The visitor
can also enjoy the varied and beautiful architecture of the
old concessionary areas where various objects and antiques can
be found in the winding streets of the antique market.
Food in Tianjin is quite different from other regions in China.
The famous Tianjin-style braised creamed cabbage (steamed stuffed
buns called “goubuli”) are definitely worth a try.
Fish and seafood are also a very common. In the Chinese custom,
fish is brought live to your table before being prepared according
to your taste in either a local or a more cosmopolitan style.
A discussion with the waiter on to how to cook the meal is one
of the pleasures of eating in China.
