Tianjin
People's Republic of China · Asia
About Tianjin
Tianjin is a provincial-level direct-administered municipality in China. It is located on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It has a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the 2020 census.
Tianjin borders Hebei Province and Beijing Municipality, bounded to the east by the Bohai Gulf portion of the Yellow Sea. Part of the Bohai Economic Rim, it is the largest coastal city in Northern China and part of the Jing-Jin-Ji megapolis.
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. The walled city of Tianjin was built in 1404. As a treaty port since 1860, Tianjin has been a seaport and gateway to Beijing. During the Boxer Rebellion, the city was the seat of the Tianjin Provisional Government. Under the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China, Tianjin became one of the largest cities in the region. At that time, European-style buildings and mansions 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 the 1976 Tangshan earthquake; however, it has been recovering since the 1990s. Tianjin is classified as the largest type of port city, a Large-Port Megacity, due to its large urban population and port traffic volume.
Tianjin is currently a dual-core city, with its main urban area (including the older part of the city) located along the Hai River, which connects to the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers via the Grand Canal, and Binhai, an adjacent New Area urban core located east of the older part of the city on the coast of the Bohai Gulf. Since 2010, Tianjin's Yujiapu Financial District has become known as China's Manhattan and the city is considered to be one of the world's top 100 cities, including in the Global Financial Centres Index. As of 2024, Tianjin was ranked as a Beta+ (global second tier) city together with Barcelona and Rome by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network. In 2025, Tianjin held the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Tianjin is ranked as the 15th leading city in the world with the highest scientific research outputs and second in the North China region after Beijing. The municipality is also home to multiple institutes of higher education in Northern China, including Tianjin, Nankai, Tianjin Normal, Tianjin Medical, Tianjin Foreign Studies, Tiangong, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin University of Technology, and Hebei University of Technology.
Tianjin travel guide
Understand
Tianjin is one of four municipalities in China; cities that are not part of any province, and whose governments instead report directly to the central government in Beijing. It borders Hebei Province and Beijing Municipality, bounded to the east by the Bohai Gulf portion of the Yellow Sea. In terms of urban population, it is the sixth-largest city of the People's Republic of China. Tianjin's urban area is located along the Hai River, which connects to the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers via the Grand Canal in Tianjin. Tianjin was once home to foreign concessions in the late Qing Dynasty and early Kuomintang era. Tianjin's climate is similar to, though slightly warmer than, its neighbour Beijing. Overall it can be described as continental; winters are cold and dry, as nights below −10 °C are not uncommon, and summers are hot and humid, with days reaching above the upper 30s °C not out of the question. The best time to visit is autumn, though if you do not mind dust storms, spring would also be an excellent choice.
History Tianjin has been trading port since historic times and used to be called "Zhigu" (直沽), or "Straight Port". In 1404, the Yongle Emperor renamed the city Tianjin, meaning "the Heavenly Ford", to indicate that the Emperor forded the river at that point. Due to its proximity to Beijing, Tianjin was involved significantly during the Opium Wars. Many concession areas in the city were run by the European powers as well as the United States and Japan, leaving many foreign architectural reminders of their rule, notably including churches and thousands of villas. On August 12, 2015, Tianjin was rocked by a devastating series of chemical explosions at the Port of Tianjin in the Binhai New Area. 173 people died as a result with 797 receiving non-fatal injuries.
Culture 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 known 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 Beijin
Getting there
By plane 1 Tianjin Binhai International Airport (天津滨海国际机场; TSN IATA) (is located in the east of the urban area, in Dongli District, which is 15 km (9 miles) to the east of the urban area). An alternative to the high-speed train, especially if wanting to reduce the added travel time and cost that comes associated with flying into Beijing -- about 120 km (75 miles) from Tianjin. The home base of Tianjin Airlines and the delightfully humble Okay Airways, domestic routes include most major Chinese cities. A few international routes are available, including destinations in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Mongolia. Metro Line 2 connects the airport directly to Tianjin station, with a fare of just ¥3. Flying to Beijing is another option. Beijing Daxing International Airport is an airport with more international and domestic destinations. To get to Tianjin, you can take an intercity train from the Daxing Airport station, which is directly under the ground at the airport, to the city centre in Tianjin in under 75 minutes, with a fare from ¥34 to ¥60. Beijing Capital International Airport is another good alternative for getting to Tianjin, especially for long-distance flights from Europe or the Americas. To get to Tianjin, take the Airport Express train into Beijing and then take the subway to Beijing South Station and the bullet train to Tianjin (see below). Total travel time will be at least 3½ hours.
By train
2 Tianjin Railway Station, sometimes known locally as the 'East Station', is the main station in Tianjin. It serves 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, traveling up to 300 km/h. Metro Line 2 directly connects Tianjin Railway Station and Tianjin Airport. There are shuttle buses between Tianjin railway station and Tianjin airport. A ticket costs ¥15 per trip. The bus stops about 200 m from the train station northern gate (back gate). When you get off the shuttle bus, walk along the pavement to reach the train station. By taxi, the fare from Tianjin railway station to Tianjin airport is about ¥50-65. Use the official taxi stand (just follow the signage)- it is advised not to use any of the touts that offer taxi services. 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. 3
Getting around
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 its public transportation. Within the city, traveling on a bus line that is less than 12 km (7 km) will cost ¥1.5, while ¥1 will cover a journey on any line over 12 k, 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. A light-rail line runs between Tianjin Railway Station to the seaside area Donghailu in TEDA.
By taxi Taxis are abundant. The minimum cost for 3 km is ¥8, (¥1.7 per km 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). Avoid taxis from near the 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 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.
By metro
The Tianjin Metro is extensive with about 300km system length and 10 lines with a flurry of lines opening in 2024 and 2025, expanding the system to over 500km (London Underground for comparison is about 400km in system length).
See
Individual listings can be found in Tianjin's district articles
Do
Individual listings can be found in Tianjin's district articles
Buy
Individual listings can be found in Tianjin's district articles Tianjin has both modern shopping malls and distinctive traditional stores, for shopping delight. Binjiang Dao Business Street and Heping Lu Business Street are the busiest and most prosperous shopping centres in Tianjin. Most of the top shopping malls or department stores can be found on these two streets. Optionally, buy a good translator. Also, most restaurants have a picture menu where you can point and order. You could also learn the hand gestures for numbers that sellers and buyers occasionally use for negotiating. Always carry a pen and paper too. There are other large shopping districts where only local people shop. You will be a novelty in those areas, but you do not need to be nervous. You will probably get some great deals because even the inflated tourist prices in Tianjin are half what they are in Beijing. Add in some friendly bargaining, and you will feel like the Champion Shopper of the World! Tianjin is renowned for the following products:
Buy tea from the best at the many authentic Chinese tea houses in Tianjin. Tianjin is well-known for its high quality ceramics. These are a great souvenir to take home.
Eat
Individual listings can be found in Tianjin's district articles
Tianjin cuisine places a heavy focus on seafood, due to Tianjin's proximity to the sea. Prominent menus include the Eight Great Bowls (八大碗), a combination of eight mainly meat dishes. It can be further classified into several varieties, including the rough (粗), smooth (细), and high (高). The Four Great Stews (四大扒) actually refers to a very large number of stews, including chicken, duck, seafood, beef, and mutton. Tianjin also has several distinctive snack items. Goubuli Baozi (狗不理包子) is a traditional brand of Baozi (steamed stuffed bun) that is famous throughout China. Guifaxiang Mahua (桂发祥麻花) is a traditional brand of mahua (fried dough twist). Erduoyan Zhagao (耳朵眼炸糕) is a traditional brand of Zhagao, or fried rice cakes.
Drink & nightlife
Individual listings can be found in Tianjin's district articles There are a number of expat bars catering to the visiting business community, most of which can be a little expensive (¥25 upwards for a small bottle of beer) so if you like something a bit more laid back and comfortable. As far as clubs go, Tianjin is a big university city both for Chinese and foreign students so there are lots of places for dancing. The music policy tends to be mostly Western and Chinese dance, pop and hip hop/R&B, so if you have more alternative tastes in music, the clubs are possibly not for you!
Sleep
Individual listings can be found in Tianjin's district articles
Go next
Beijing, the nation's capital is close by Qinghuangdao, a seaside resort town at the end of the Great Wall
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.