Tianjin

Staying in Tianjin

Tianjin may not spring to mind as the first place to see when visiting China, but northern China's largest port city is a real and relatively undiscovered jewel. Only 30-minutes by high-speed rail from Beijing, Tianjin benefits from its proximity to China's capital in cosmopolitan culture, historical sights, astonishing architectural wonders and contemporary style.

In some ways, Tianjin is like a blend of Beijing and Shanghai, without the crowds. Here, you can see beautiful examples of European-style architecture leftover from the days of the Qing dynasty, dine on the best cuisine from all across China and the region, and visit a wonderfully preserved section of the Great Wall of China without having to fight the crowds. There are temples, mosques and churches aplenty, galleries, museums and entire streets given over to shopping and of course, there are the beautiful banks of the Hai River, that saw significant rejuvenation as part of Tianjin's involvement in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

The Five Great Avenues

Tianjin has a fascinating history and interaction with foreign powers that have inevitably left their indelible mark on Tianjin's cityscape. In the 1800s under the Qing dynasty, the French and the British were allowed to establish concessions in Tianjin, and later other countries including Russia, Japan, Italy and Germany followed suit. Fast forward to today and the arresting beauty of Tianjin's wudadao area - which translates as 'the Five Great Avenues' is mainly due to the marvellous examples of European architecture leftover from colonial times and the early 20th Century. The avenues are a fantastic place to take an afternoon walk and grab a coffee in one of the area's elegant cafes, soaking up the atmosphere. To get to wudadao from your serviced apartments in Nankai, take the metro to Xiaobailou station.

Tianjin at night

The waterfront along the Hai River received a facelift in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics when Tianjin hosted several sports for the Beijing games. Today, the area around HaiHe Cultural Square in the city centre is one of the best places to experience Tianjin's riverside life at night. People hang out by the riverside with friends and family after work, head to some of the nearby restaurants and take in the European-style buildings lit up with artfully placed lighting. There are around two-thousand light installations throughout the square all designed to inspire and delight. Wander the boutique night stalls and afterwards, head over to the nearby Ancient Culture Street for a late dinner.

Tianjin's architecture on show

As much as Tianjin's Qing-era European buildings impress and the city's temples delight, it's Tianjin's modern architectural marvels that wow. The city is home to some spectacular public buildings that are well worth your time to explore, all located a relatively short metro journey from your serviced apartment in Tianjin. The first stop on an architectural tour of Tianjin is the Tianjin Binhai Library. With its spherical central auditorium and inverted cascading shelves of books rising overhead, the interior is something more reminiscent of something out of a science fiction novel. The five-level structure integrates reading rooms, education facilities, an auditorium and two rooftop patios for functions.

Another building well worth a visit is the new National Maritime Museum of China, which held its soft opening in 2019. The structure looks something like the upturned hulls of ships, coral and an outstretched hand extending into the sea combined, and is due to open late 2020.