Tianjin

Tianjin lies just half an hour by train from Beijing, yet visitors often underestimate it. If you vacation in Tianjin, you'll discover a port city with European-style neighborhoods, a Ferris wheel above the Hai River and a hearty street-food culture all its own.

Things to See in Tianjin

After the Second Opium War, Tianjin was opened to trade in 1860, and as many as nine foreign powers established concessions here. They left behind a one-of-a-kind cityscape: the Five Great Avenues district is home to more than 2,000 villas in English, Italian and Spanish styles, which you can explore at a leisurely pace by horse-drawn carriage. Italian Style Town, with its squares and cafés, feels almost Mediterranean, while Jiefang Road was once the Wall Street of northern China. In contrast, Ancient Culture Street offers shops selling painting supplies, Yangliuqing New Year prints and Clay Figure Zhang figurines. The Tianjin Eye Ferris wheel is mounted on a bridge over the Hai River, and modernity shows itself in the cultural center with the striking Binhai Library, whose bookshelves sweep in waves all the way to the ceiling. The Porcelain House, a building whose facade is covered in millions of porcelain shards and antique vases, is one of the quirkiest buildings in China. A riverside promenade with illuminated bridges runs along the Hai River.

Binhai and the Surrounding Area

The Binhai New Area on the coast includes one of the largest ports in northern China, industrial zones and new business districts. The decommissioned Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev is moored here as a museum ship. To the north, in Jizhou District, a restored section of the Great Wall climbs through the mountains at Huangyaguan; the Dule Temple in Jizhou has one of the oldest wooden halls in China, dating from the Liao dynasty. Cruise ships also dock at the Port of Binhai, and their passengers travel on to Beijing from here.

Food, Getting There and Best Time to Visit

Tianjin's specialties include Goubuli baozi, steamed buns with 18 pleats, fried mahua dough twists and jianbing guozi, the crêpe made with egg and crispy dough. For breakfast, locals eat guobacai, strips of mung bean dough in a savory sauce. The high-speed train to Beijing takes about 30 minutes, and Binhai Airport offers domestic and a few international connections. The best time to visit is spring and fall.