Tianjin Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Tianjin is a huge city with several district articles that contain information about specific sights, restaurants, and accommodation.

Tianjin (天津 Tiānjīn) is one of the largest cities in China, boasting a population of 14.5 million (2024). It neighbors Beijing, with the province of Hebei situated between them. Tianjin is divided into the old city and the Binhai New Area.

Tianjin was home to concessions of numerous Western powers and Japan in the late Qing Dynasty and Republic of China era, and an abundance of colonial architecture can still be found in the city today. The Italian concession is particularly famous, and has today been renovated into a lifestyle and dining destination.

39°7′59″N 117°10′59″E

Map of Tianjin

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.

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.

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 famous 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 Beijing, is a center for the art of xiangsheng.

Yangliuqing (Green Willows), a town about 15 km west of Tianjin's urban area and the seat of Tianjin's Xiqing District, is famous for its popular Chinese New Year-themed, traditional-style, Yangliuqing colourful wash paintings (杨柳青年画). Tianjin is also famous for Zhang's clay figurines (泥人张) which are a type of colourful figurine depicting a variety of vivid characters, and Tianjin's Wei's kites (风筝魏), which can be folded to a fraction of their full sizes, are noted for portability.

39°7′59″N 117°10′59″E

Map of Tianjin

• 39.13016117.354271 ^{[dead link]} 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 an 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.

39.13552117.203632 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.

39.0561117.05433 Tianjin South Railway Station serves as an intermediate station for bullet trains between Beijing South and Shanghai Hongqiao. It is far from the city center, but Metro Line 3 connects the station to the city center. Taxis here are mostly of the illegal variety, so plan accordingly.

39.1571117.15644 Tianjin West Station is the terminus for trains between Tianjin West and Shanghai Hongqiao. It can be reached by Metro Line 1 and 6.

Binhai Station (滨海站) (formerly Yujiapu) is in the middle of the new financial district in the Binhai New Area, and just a few kilometers from the Binhai Library.

Tanggu Station (塘沽站) serves the seaside district of the same name.

The inter-city trains between Beijing and Tianjin have a number range between C2001 and C2298:

C2001—C2198: From Beijing South Station to Tianjin, non-stop. C2201—C2268: From Beijing South Station to Tianjin, with stops at Wuqing Station (武清站) or Yizhuang Station (亦庄站); C2271—C2298: From Beijing South Station to Tanggu Station of Tianjin.

Some spots in Tianjin, including roads and bridges, have names from Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People (for example, Minquan Gate on Zhonghuan Road). Names harkening back to the era of the Republic of China on the mainland also appear (e.g. Beiyang Road). Many roads in Tianjin are named after a Chinese province or city. Also, Tianjin is unlike Beijing, in that very few roads run parallel to the major four compass directions.

Tianjin has three ring roads. Unlike Beijing, the Inner and Middle Ring Roads are not closed, traffic-controlled roadways and some often have traffic light intersections. The Outer Ring Road is the closest thing to a highway-level ring road, although traffic is often chaotic and sometimes more than chaotic.

Tianjin is well connected with other cities via bus. The price from Beijing is about ¥30.

There are also two school bus lines linking Nankai and Tianjin Universities and Tsinghua University. They depart daily at 15:45 and 16:45 from Tsinghua's North-West Gate.

Tianjin is connected by passenger boat to Dalian and Incheon, South Korea.

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.

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.

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).

Individual listings can be found in Tianjin's district articles

Individual listings can be found in Tianjin's district articles

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 also famous for the following products:

• Buy tea from the best at the many authentic Chinese tea houses in Tianjin.
• Tianjin is famous for its high quality ceramics. These are a great souvenir to take home.

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 famous snack items. Goubuli Baozi (狗不理包子) is a famous and 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.

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!

Individual listings can be found in Tianjin's district articles

Tianjin is known to be as safe as any city in China.

Generally you do not have to concern about personal safety in China if you just follow the basics you would at home. Girls generally say they are happy to walk anywhere in the main city areas where there are lights. But if you come out of a night club drunk, you are an obvious target.

• There are several pedestrian bridge crossing but few tunnel crossings like Beijing. Many people cross at traffic lights or zebra crossing. But generally especially since the roads are wide and new due to recent construction, road crossing should be done with care.
• Make sure your cab driver turns on the meter. Many try to take a foreigner to their destination and over charge them. If they do not turn it on either ask them to stop and get a new cab or refuse to pay at the end. Cheating Hotline: +86 22 23549000
• Being a new train station, there is a bit of confusion when getting out of the Tianjin Station to your next connection. There is a taxi and bus hub. At the same time, there are many offering transport or day tours. It is illegal and it is better to wait until you find a travel agency or use the public bus or meter taxi to get to your next destination. If you really want to get one, the price is generally below ¥30 to the downtown.

• Fire: 119
• First aid: 120
• Police:110
• Traffic Accident: 122
• Counterfeit Crime: 12333

• Tianjin Balitai Post Office (天津八里台), Weijin Rd, No. 215 District (Opposite The Gate of Nankai University), 23378621.

Bank of China branches all have the ability to take cards from foreign banks, and most offer English instructions. For more advanced financial transactions (converting currency or travellers checks, for instance) the best places to go are the Bank of China branch.

• Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Dagu Lu 1040, Hexi, near East Garden, University of Science and Technology (天津市河西区大沽路1040号,科技大学旁东花园底墒), ☏ +86 22 28192329. 
• China CITIC Bank, Jinwei Lu Road 28, Hebei (天津市河北区金纬路28号), ☏ +86 22-26012807. 

Tianjin has a Buddhist Temple of Great Compassion, a Catholic St. Joseph's Cathedral (Laoxikai Church), a Catholic Our Lady of Victory Church (Wanghailou Church), a Tianjin Jewish Synagoge and a Roman Catholic Diocese of Tianjin.

• Beijing, the nation's capital is close by
• Qinghuangdao, a seaside resort town at the end of the Great Wall

Beijing ←	W  E	→ Tangshan → Harbin
Beijing ←	W  S	→ Dezhou → Shanghai