Overview

Tianjin borders on the Bohai Sea in the east, located in the northeast of Huabei Plain and north of Yanshan Mountains. It is 120km southeast from Beijing and covers an area of 11,035 sq kilometres. From ancient times, Tianjin has been an important gateway of the sea route to Beijing, as well as the communications hub of the North.

The city gradually took shape in the 12th century when more and more settlements were established. It was a county town in the Qing Dynasty and became a municipality in 1928. Now it has about five million population. As a special municipality Tianjin has a degree of autonomy but is also closely administered by the central government.

The beautiful Haihe River runs through the city. People here seem to lead an easy life and many people who live in the locality come to Tianjin to do shopping, particularly for fresh seafood, because the prices are relatively low. One of the attractions of the city is the two-day kite-flying festival held in early April or late September.