Tianjin

• The Five Avenues (五大道 ; Wǔdàdào; lit. The Five Avenues), Wudadao, Heping, Tianjin (和平区五大道) ( Best route: cross between Hebei Lu and Chengdu Dao→Chongqing Dao→Changde Dao→Dali Dao→Xinhua Lu→Machang Dao→Munan Dao→Hong Kong Lu→Chongqing Dao→Nanhai Lu→Hebei Lu). Fifth Avenue (Wudadao) is located in the south of the downtown Tianjin, a parallel street from east to west named under five cities of southwest China, namely Chongqing, Changde, Dali, Munan and Machang. Local Tianjinese call it the "Fifth Avenue", together with over 230 buildings of all kinds from the architecture of Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, as well as over 50 houses ever been lived by celebrities. Colourful architecture style range from the Renaissance, Greek, Gothic, Romantic, Eclectic, and Carson, which constitute a true fun of art. The second part is the residential area, with the first small Western-style residential area for foreign people who opened up concessions, whose residence next to the office area, close to Jiefang Road, around the former Italian concession in the east of Marco Polo Plaza. In the 20th century, due to the current situation, Tianjin's position in China had become very special and important. On one hand, social and political unrest made concessions a haven for ousted politicians and businessmen, on the other hand, Tianjin, had geographically profits for transporation and duty-free customs, was full of opportunities. Various dignitaries and rich people lived in Tianjin. Living in a small Western-style house was more comfortable and convenient than a traditional courtyard and the Fifth Avenue was located in a prime location of the British concession, thus people rushed in to build their houses here. The neighbourhood became Tianjin's rich area at that time. Tianjin was undoubtedly the first in term of the size of rich area among the affluent cities in modern China.  edit

• Tianjin Ancient Culture Street (古文化街 ; gǔwénhuàjiē ), 天津市南 开区鼓楼北 North of Gulou, Nankai, Tianjin, ☎ +86-22-27275039. Open throughout the day, extended opening hours on holidays or major events.. Tianjin Ancient Culture Street was opened on New Year´s Day in 1986, the overall construction has the folk architectural styple of Qing dynasty, with Tin Hau (Matsu Temple) located in the centre of the whole street. There are nearly hundreds of stores along the street, among them Yangliuqing painting gallery and painted clay sculpture of Clay Figure Zhang are most famous, as well as calligraphy and painting brushes(文房四宝) of Four Treasures and Spring Church, cultural antiques of Sui Man Chai and cloisonne (景泰蓝), double-sided embroidery ( 双面绣), jade carvings ( 牙玉雕), art ceramics ( 艺术陶瓷), Chinese and Western musical instruments and gold and silver jewelry from other dozens of famous artists and craftmen. All goods are genuine, affordable and with good quality. free.  edit

• Former Concessions in Tianjin. The Concessions in Tianjin were concession territories ceded by the Chinese imperial Qing Dynasty to the great powers in Tianjin. Tianjin's position at the intersection of the Grand Canal and the Peiho River connecting Beijing to the Bohai Bay made it one of the premier ports of northern China. Foreign trade was approved there for the British and French by the 1860 Peking Convention. Its importance increased even further when it was connected to the Tangshan coal fields by the Kaiping Tramway, the railroad that eventually connected all of northern China and Manchuria. Between 1895 and 1900, the two original powers were joined by Japan, Germany, Russia, and by Austria-Hungary, Italy and Belgium – countries without concessions elsewhere in China – in establishing self-contained concessions each with their own prisons, schools, barracks and hospitals. The European settlements covered 5 square miles (13 km2) in all, the riverfront being governed by foreign powers. ** Austro-Hungarian concession (1901–1917) During the Boxer rebellion and its aftermath 1899-1901, Austria-Hungary participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance and helped in suppressing the rising. However, Austria-Hungary together with Italy sent the smallest force of any of the combatant nations. Four cruisers and 296 Hungarian enlisted soldiers were dispatched. ** Belgian concession (1902–1931) The former Belgian Concession was established in 1902. Located on the eastern bank of the Hai River (Hai He), the Belgian government and business community did not invest in concession development, therefore there were not many buildings constructed in this area, and those that were built are no longer extant. ** British concession (1860–1943) The British concession, in which the trade centres, was situated on the right bank of the Hai River below the native city, occupying some 200 acres (0.81 km2). It was held on a lease in perpetuity granted by the Chinese government to the British Crown, which sublet plots to private owners in the same way as was done at Hankou. The local management was entrusted to a municipal council organized on lines similar to those in Shanghai. The seat of government was the stately Gordon Hall, situated on Victoria Road (now Jiefang Lu). ** French concession (1860–1946) The former French concession was established in 1860. After more than 100 years, almost every prominent building in the original concession is still extant, including the French Consulate, the Municipal Council, the French Club, the Catholic Cathedral, the French Garden and many others. Many of the bank buildings along the financial street (currently Jiefang Lu, formerly the Rue de France) are still in existence today. ** German concession (1899–1917) Germany by the late 1870s was on a course of extensive economic involvement in several Chinese provinces, among them the Tientsin area. The German enclave south of the Hai River was situated between the British and one of the Japanese concessions. In July 1877 xenophobic groups threatened the life and property of German merchants in Tientsin. Local unrest intensified, mainly due to poor harvests and resulting famine, and Tientsin business interests requested armed protection. The German admiralty then dispatched the corvette SMS Luise to China. This initial show of support eventually evolved into a permanent presence in Chinese waters by initially modest German naval forces. ** Italian concession (1901–1947) On September 7, 1901, a concession in Tientsin was ceded to the Kingdom of Italy (Regno d'Italia) by the Qing Dynasty of China. On June 7, 1902, the concession was taken into Italian possession and administered by an Italian consul. After World War I the Austro-Hungarian section was added to the Italian, doubling its size. It became the headquarters of the Italian Legione Redenta (an "Italian legio" made of irredentist troops in the defeated Austro-Hungarian empire), that fought in 1919 against Lenin's Soviet troops in Siberia and Manchuria. ** Japanese concession (1888–1945) The former Japanese concession was established in 1888. The Japanese army occupied the entire city of Tientsin from 1937 until their defeat in 1945. ** Russian concession (1903–1920) The former Russian concession was established in 1903. The former Russian concession in Tientsin (1903–1920), originally an area of more than 398 hectares, was never completed. Located on the eastern bank of Hai He River along a bend in the river, it was originally divided into two districts (east and west). In 1920 the Beiyang government of the Republic of China retook the land and concession from the Russian SFSR. In 1924, the Soviet Union renounced its claim on the concession. ** American concession The United States never requested or received extraterritorial rights in Tianjin. A de facto concession was administered from 1869 until 1880, principally under the aegis of the British mission. Ultimately, the American concession territory became part of the British Concession in 1902. The United States maintained a permanent garrison at Tientsin from January 1921, by the 15th Infantry, US Army until 1938 and by the US Marine Corps until December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japan.  edit

Tianjin Eye.

• Tianjin Eye (天津眼 (tiānjīnyǎn) or Yongle Bridge ferris wheel), Tianjin Eye, Hongqiao ( 天津市红桥区天津眼‎) ( Bus 1, 4, 12, 18, 34, 177, 609, 610, 611, 619 Station: Jingang Qiao (750 meters away)). Maintenance on Monday morning, still open in the afternoon. Tianjin Eye is a 120-metre (394 ft) tall giant Ferris wheel built above the Yongle Bridge (formerly Chihai Bridge), over the Hai River in Tianjin, China. It is claimed to be the only such wheel to have been constructed over a bridge. Tianjin Eye has 64 exterior transparent capsules, ideal for 360º sightseeing. A round-trip requires 40 mintues. It is able to see within a radius of 40 km on the top. Adult ￥ 70, Children ￥35 yuan / person (under 1.2 meters), Box ticket ￥400 (less than five persons), Couple ￥240 (2 or less), VIP ￥140 (avoid queuing), Couple VIP ￥480 (2 persons within a separate box, avoid queuing), Box VIP ￥800 (less than five persons).  edit

• Tianjin Italian Town (意大利 风情旅游区 (yìdàlìfēngqínglǚyóuq ū)), Guangfu Dao 39, Hebei (河北区光复道39 号) ( Bus No.27, 868 and 901 and get off at the East Station.). 24 hours. Tianjin Italian Town is also known as the Italian Concession which was built in 1902. The Italian Town was finished in 2005. It covers the area from Coast area to the Victory Road. Across the river from Italian Town lies the Ancient Culture Street, Peace Shopping and Pedestrian Street, Tianjin Financial Road, Little White CBD (小白楼) and Tianjin Municipal Government. Owning the unique location, the Italian Town is merged with different cultures. Here you can find the celebrities’ residences, chic bars, international restaurants, western art deco, etc. Among those buildings, the most famous are Liang Qichao’s Yinbin Room, Residence of Feng Guozhang, Residence of Cao Yu, Residence of Hua Shikui, First Worker Cultural Palace and Italian Military Camp. Although the Italian Town is named after a street, actually it is a small town. The center of the town is the Macro Polo Plaza. The layout of the street is shaped like a chess board. Both sides of the street are decorated with lamp lights and green trees. In addition, the well preserved fences and other ancient buildings make the town full of Italian aroma. The Free Path is the only pedestrian street in the Italian Town and most of the buildings are restaurants and bars which attracts many tourists. Most restaurateurs are from Apennines Peninsula. Here one can not only taste the real pizza, Italian pasta and other Italian aperitives, besides, he can also enjoy the Italian performances and other Italian clothes and handicraft exhibitions. There are 24-hour bars, cafés, restaurants, art museum and cinemas, attracting tourists from all over the world. free.  edit

• The Tianjin Tower (津塔 ; pinyin: Jīn​tǎ, or '''Tianjin World Financial Center''' Chinese: 天津 环球金融中心 ; pinyin: Tiān​jīn​  Huán​ qiú​  Jīn​róng ​ Zhōng​xīn).It is a modern supertall skyscraper located in the Heping Business District of Tianjin, China, on the banks of the Hai River. The mixed-use tower is 336.9 metres (1,105 ft) tall and contains 74 floors above ground and 4 below, with an observation deck at 305.2 metres (1,001 ft). The area of the glass unitized curtain wall, manufactured by Jangho Group, is 215,000m². It is notable as the first office building in Tianjin to be equipped with double decker elevators.  edit

• Dabei Monastery (大悲院 ; Dàbēiyuàn; lit. Great Compassion Temple), Tianwei Road, Hebei District (河北区天 纬路; Héběiq ū Tiānwěilù (About 2 km W of Tianjin North Railway Station. Take buses 1, 2, 4, 12, 18, 34, 177, 609, 609, 610, 611, 619, 632, 641, 646, 659, 670, 671, 818, 861, 878, 904 to Jingangqiao Stn (金 钢桥; Jīngāngqiáo) on Zhongshan Rd ( 中山路; Zhōngshānlù) and walk NW of Tianwei Rd ). 9AM-11:20AM, 2PM-4:30PM. The monastery was first built in the Ming Dynasty, but has been heavily rebuilt and renovated since and consists now of the West Monestary from 1669 and the East Monastery from 1940. It is the largest and oldest in town covering 10,600 m² (114,000 ft²). The temple houses Tianjin Buddhist Institute and exhibits quite many ancient statues.The Dabei Buddhist Monastery is made up of two parts: old monastery and new monastery. The old monastery refers to the three great halls in the west yard. The construction of the old monastery was start in the beginning of Qing Dynasty, and was renovated in the eighth ruling year of Kangxi Emperor in Qing Dynasty. The east yard features in the new monasterys. The statue of Sakyamuni oblated in the Daxiong Palace from the east yard was created in Ming Dynasty. The whole Sakyamuni Statue is 7 meters high, 6 tons weight, with 9,999 small Buddha carved on the lotus throne. Inside the Great Compassion hall, a 3.6-meters-high-mud-statue of Thousand-hand Kwan-yin is oblate. The monastery was once famous for holding a skull relic of Xuanzang, however, the relic was presented to India in 1956 when it was taken to Nalanda - allegedly by the Dalai Lama - and presented to India. The relic is now in the Patna museum. And from then on, Great Compassion monastery takes the image of Xuanzang Master instead of the spirit bones for the worship of the Buddhist. There are memorials for Xuanzang Master and Hongyi Master in the east yard, while the west yard becomes an office for Cultural Relic Palace, Abbot Palace and Chinese Buddhism Association Tianjin Branch. In the Cultural Relic Palace of the west yard, there many collections from every dynasties since Wei and Jin Period including hundreds of Buddha statues which are made of various materials from bronze, iron, stone to wood. Vegetarian Food Dabei Great Monastery is the only monastery in Tianjin providing vegetarian food, so it's a good new for the vegetarian visitors. Food made by the famous Tianjin Dabei Buddhist Monastery Vegetarian Food Corporation are served in the monastery, which includes Longevity Perch present basket, soybean vegetarian, muti-vitamins-calcium noodles, deepfreeze eight precious vegetarian steamed-buns and vegetarian dumplings etc. ¥10.  edit

• Yuhuangge Taoist Temple.  edit

• The Century Clock of Tianjin (天津世 纪钟).  edit

• Hai River, ☎  Hai River Cruise +86 22 27059678. The Hai River at Tianjin is formed by the confluence of five rivers, the Southern Canal, Ziya River, Daqing River, Yongding River, and the Northern Canal. The southern and northern canals are parts of the Grand Canal. The Southern Canal is joined by the Wei River at Linqing. The Northern Canal joins with the Bai He (or Chaobai River) at Tongzhou. The Northern Canal (sharing a channel with Bai He) is also the only waterway from the sea to Beijing. Therefore, early Westerners also called the Hai He the Bai He. At Tianjin, through the Grand Canal, the Hai connects with the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. The construction of the Grand Canal greatly altered the rivers of the Hai He basin. Previously, the Wei, Ziya Yongding and Bai Rivers flowed separately to the sea. The Grand Canal cut through the lower reaches of these rivers and fused them into one outlet to the sea, in the form of the current Hai He. **History During the Boxer Rebellion, Imperial Chinese forces deployed a weapon called "electric mines" on June 15, at the Peiho river before the Battle of Dagu Forts (1900), to prevent the western Eight-Nation Alliance from sending ships to attack. This was reported by American military intelligence in the United States. War Dept. by the United States. Adjutant-General's Office. Military Information Division. Like the Yellow River, the Hai is exceedingly muddy because of the powdery soil through which it flows. The silt carried by the water deposits in the lower reaches, sometimes causing flooding. The waters from the five major tributaries only have one shallow outlet to the sea, which makes such floods stronger. Because China's capital (and second largest city), Beijing, and the third largest city, Tianjin, both lie in the Hai He Basin, Hai He floods cause a significant loss. To alleviate flooding, reservoirs have been built and artificial channels dug to divert excess water directly into the sea. For example, the Chaobai river is diverted to the Chaobai Xin river and no longer joins with the Northern Canal. free.  edit

• Confucian Temple (孔 庙), 2 Dongmenli, Nankai District (南开区东门里大街2 号; Nánk āiqū Dōngménlǐdàjiē. 9AM-5PM. An important Temple of Confucius. Early Qing Dynasty temple with a hall to honour Confucius and other halls for prayers. ¥4.  edit

• Grand Mosque (清真大寺 ; Qīngzhēndàsì), Xiaohuo Ln, Dafeng Rd, Hongqiao District (红桥区红桥区大丰路小伙巷 ; Hóngqiáoqū Dàfēngl ù Xiǎohuǒxiàng) (Close to the Ancient Cultural Street, NE of Xibeijue Metro Stn (西北角; Xīběijué) ). 9AM-5PM. Built in 1644 and constructed in wood. The mosque is still in use by the Tianjin Muslim community. Access for tourists to the interiour is limited. Free.  edit

• Xikai Catholic Church (西 开天主教堂; Xīkāitiānzhǔjiàotáng; also known as the French Church or the Catholic Church), Dushan Rd, ☎ +86 22 2835-8812. M-Sa 9AM-11AM, 2PM-4PM. This church really stands out as architectural eye-candy. Constructed in 1917 by French Jesuit missionaries, this Tianjin landmark features three massive green domes making it easy to spot miles away. The façade adds to the building's novel appearance with a series of orange and brown horizontal stripes. Given its visual prominence it boggles many minds over how this church survived Mao's cultural revolution. Today it is fully embraced as one of Tianjin's greatest buildings. Morning church services are held daily. There is also an interesting market behind the church.  edit

Tianjin Drum Tower.

• Drum Tower (鼓楼 ; Gǔlóu), Gulou E St, Nankai District (南开区鼓楼东街; Nánk āiqū Gǔlóudōngjiē) (Bus 652 will take you right to the door, buses 161, 635, 652, 657, 855, 863, 865 will also get you really close). The tower was originally built in the Ming Dynasty, but was destroyed during the culture revolution. The Drum Tower was rebuilt in 2001 and now actually houses a bell and not drums. The tower is home to varying exhibitions. Free.  edit

• Tianjin Radio and Television Tower (广播电视塔 ; Guǎngbōdiànshìtǎ), 1 Jinzi Rd, Hexi District, ☎ +86 22 2334-3557. The Tianjin Radio and Television Tower is a 415.2 m (1,362 ft) tower in Tianjin, China used primarily for communication. It was built in 1991 at a cost of $45 million. Approximately two-thirds up the tower is an observation pod with floor space 253m (830 feet) (used mostly for communication equipment). The fourth largest tower in the world. But this one might be the most spectacular as it is surrounded by water.  edit

Tianjin Astor Hotel.

Tianjin Jinwan Plaza.

Tianjin Skyline 2009.

Tianjin Railway Station.

Tianjin Airport.

[edit]Parks

• Tianjin Water Park (Chinese:  天津水上公园; Tiānjīn Shuǐshàng Gōngyuán). It is the the largest urban park and recreation area in Tianjin. The recreation area of the Tianjin Water Park has one of the city's highest ferris wheels. Visitors are also encouraged to travel on the lakes via rowing boats and high speed water shuttles. The park changes its theme according to season, for example, during spring there is the Tulip Show, and in autumn there is the Chrysanthemum Show.  edit

• Beining Park. This park could easily elevate to shrine status, especially during spring when the trees and flowers begin to bloom with incomparable color. Ponds and pavilions linked by 29 arch bridges suffuse the entire park with a keen sense of serenity, making it the ideal spot for a quick city escape. The park's main feature, the Zhiyuan Pagoda, extends 244 feet high. It can be scaled by either stairs or elevator. Carved murals on the pagoda's inside walls are worthy of attention too. edit

• Central Park.  edit

• Seaside Amusement Park.  edit

• Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev Theme Park (前苏联航空母舰主题公园 ).  edit

• Tianjin Zoo. The Tianjin Zoo is located in Nankai District, Tianjin, China, as the south-most part of the Water Park complex. Construction began in 1975 and it was opened to the public on January 1st, 1980. It houses approximately 3,000 animals of 200 species.  edit

• Tianta Lake Scenic Area.  edit

• Tianjin Polar Marine Theme Park (天津海昌极地海洋世界 ; Tiānjīn Hǎichāng Jídì Hǎiyáng Shìjiè),Tianjin Binhai New Area Xiangluowan Business District No. 61; 天津市 滨海新区响螺湾商务区第 61号 (Tiānjīn Bīnhǎi Xīn Qū Xiǎng Luówān Yóuxiāng Qū Qì 61 Hào),  ☎ 022-66227777,  [4] . A large buidling where you can see a wide variety of fish and mammals from both the Northern and Southern polar regions such as, Penguins, Polar Bears, Whales, Seals, Wolves, a wide variety of marine life, etc. You can also check out the Dolphin performances that they have scheduled a few times a day. Click [|here] for bus routes near you  edit

 ]Museums

• Tianjin Museum (天津博物 馆(tiānjīnbówùguǎn) ), Youyi Lu 31, Hexi, near Pingjiang Daokou(河西区友 谊路31 号, 平江道口), ☎  +86(22)58793000. 9:00 — 16:30 (Tuesday to Friday, closed on Monday.Tianjin Museum has modern exhibition halls with an area of 11,000 square meters as well as cultural and leisure facilities with multiple functions. It looks like a swan spreading its wings to fly from the lake surface. The Tianjin Museum has an extensive collection of ancient Chinese fine arts and exhibits on Tianjin's history. There are nearly 200,000 collections of art and relics, including calligraphy, paintings, bronzeware, ceramics, jadeware, seals, inkstone, Jiagu (bones or tortoise shells with inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty), coins, historic documents and relics of modern times. free.  edit

• Tianjin Museum of Science and Technology (天津科技 馆).   edit

• Tianjin Natural History Museum (天津自然 历史博物馆).  edit

• Luzutang (Boxer Rebellion Museum).  edit

• Tianjin Museum of Modern History (近代天津博物 馆), Hebei Road 314 河北路314 号. The museum holds more than 1,000 historical pictures and a great deal of historical data, recording the history of Sino-foreign relationship for more than 400 years, from the middle of 16th century to the middle of 20th century. These pictures represent 15 countries, including Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, France, Holland, ndia, Italy, Israel, Japan, Germany, Russia, Switzerland, Israel and the US. There are also approximately 400 contemporary photographs.  edit

• Tianjin Opera Museum (天津 戏曲博物馆).  edit

• Garden of Serenity - Former Residence of Pu Yi, The Last Emperor of China (静园 ; Jìngyuán), 70 Anshan Road, Heping District; 和平区鞍山道70 号(hépíngq ū ānshāndào 9hào) (take bus# 3, 50, 673, 632, or 800 to Anshan Road. You can also take Subway line 1), ☎  +86-22-27311618, 22-27317393. Jingyuan Garden with a history of 80 years is a famous residence combining both Chinese and European architecture style. It is now one of the heritage sites under city protection and the important historic architecture under the protection the city of Tianjin. Built in 1921, Jingyuan Garden, also named Qianyuan Garden, was the private residence of Lu Zongyu, minister-counselor to Japan appointed by the Northern Warlords’ Government. Later it was named by Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty on July 1929 when he settled here with his wives. “Jing” means stillness in English and the garden was named by the emperor who tried to strengthen himself with noble spirit by living in a peaceful environment. Jingyuan Garden with an area of 3360 square meters consists of three sets of courtyards, the front yard, the back yard and the side yard. The main building is a two-storied Spanish architecture. The first floor serves as a living room, a dining room, guest rooms and a kitchen, while the second floor as bedrooms, a library and a chamber. The exterior walls and balconies with projecting brims were used to add more room to the building. In front of the garden will be built a garden, in which enormous poplars, pagoda trees and cloves are planted and some ponds and pavilions are constructed. Besides, a reception office, a kitchen, a garage and a tennis court will be built on the northeast side of the garden. Jingyuan Garden integrates different architecture styles, such as Japanese and Spanish. The structure and material of gates are of typical Japanese style, simple and plain, while the low pitched roof and the detailed decoration are of obvious Spanish architecture style. The garden is now displayed following its original arrangements of furniture and adornments. And there also exhibit some paper materials and photos related with the daily life and political life of Pu Yi, the last emperor.  edit

• Former Residence of Zhang Ailing, No.61 32th British colonial street; 英租界 32号路 61号 Yīngzūjiè 32 hào lù 61 hào. Early modern Chinese writer whose stories have been adapted into such films as Ang Li's "Lust, Caution". Zhang Ailing lived here during her early childhood years.  edit

• Tianjin Fine Art Museum.  edit

• Memorial Hall of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao (周恩来 邓颖超纪念馆； Zhōu'ēnlái dèngyǐngchāo j ìniànguǎn), 9 Shui Shang Gong Yuan Xi Road, Nankai District; 天津南 开区水上公园西路 9号 . 09:00-16:30, no entrance after 16:00; Closed on Mondays. The three-story museum is dedicated to the memory of premier Zhou En-lai and his wife, Deng Yingchao, and features photos, documents and dioramas of significant events in their lives. The museum is located near the Tianjin Water Park.  edit

• Former Residence and Mausoleum of Huo Yuanjia (霍元甲故居 纪念馆; Huò yuánjiǎ gùjū jìniànguǎn), XiQing District 天津市西青区 (Take bus#156 or 162 for roughly about 40 minutes.). 09:00-18:00. A large museum featuring the life of Huo Yuanjia (a historical figure played by Jet Li in the film "Fearless") and his contributions to China and Kungfu. The museum also displays a wide variety of weapons he collected. Just outside the museum is the tomb of Huo Yuanjia himself. Also surrounding the museum and residence is where you can find a professional wushu/kung fu school. 60rmb.  edit

• Memorial Hall of the Beiping-Tianjin Campaign (平津 战役纪念馆). 09:00-18:00. Opened in 1997 this museum celebrates the Communist's victory over Kuomintang in January 1949. The clash involved more than one million soldiers and was one of four major battles fought between the two sides. Three major halls (Prelude, War History and Special Subjects) present vivid battle accounts through films, photos and paintings. There are also tanks, cannons and armored cars leftover from the war on display too. And in being true to form with all other Communist themed museums there are several statues of some of the party's most prominent leaders.  edit

• China House Museum, 72 Chi Feng Road(赤峰道), He Ping District （和平区）, ☎  86-022-27123366. 09:00~17:00. The China House is a priceless building decorated with about 4,000 pieces of ancient porcelain, 400 pieces of jade stone carving, 20 tons of crystal and agate and million pieces of ancient Chinese ceramic chips. China house museum is a private museum which belongs to the Tianjin Yueweixian Cultural Industry and Investment group. It is built with more than 700,000,000 pieces of Chinese porcelain; 15000 ancient porcelain bows, dishes, and vases; 300 ancient porcelain-cat pillows; 300 stone lions; 300 marble sculptures; more 20 tons natural crystal, etc. Inside the museum there are 4 floors, filled with Chinese acient furniture, woodcarving, etc. All the exhibits are collected by the chairman of the museum, Zhang Lianzhi. The Porcelain House is located in a bustling area, close to the former residence of Zhang Xueliang, an instigator of the Xi’an incident and a patriotic hero in China. Originally a 100-year -old French style villa, the residence is a five-storied building with a total area of 3,000 square metres. Porcelain used to decorate the house can date back to the Han Dynasty. Visitors can almost find every type of porcelain from the house, which combines traditional Chinese architecture and western architecture. On the roof of the house is embedded a 768-metre-long dragon relief made by over ten thousand pieces of porcelain and an eye-catching English word, ‘China’, with some Chinese characters and the flag of China on both sides. Inside the house there are many famous paintings comprised by ceramic chips, including the world famous painting, Mona Lisa. Besides, the walls of the house are named the ‘peace wall’, consisting of 635 vases made during Republic China and the late Qing Dynasty. ￥ 35.  edit

 ]Streets and areas

• Ancient Cultural Street (古文化街 ; Gǔwénhuàjiē ), Gongbei Ave-Gongnan Ave, Nankai District (南开区 宫北大街-宫南大街 ; Nánkāiqū Gōngběidàji ē-Gōngnándàji ē) (2 km E of Xibeijue Train Stn (西北角 ), buses 1, 4, 12, 15, 611, 612, 619, 624, 824 will also take you much closer to the street).Street not only lined with shops and cafes but also with interesting architecture, including lots of copies of Qing Dynasty buildings. Some of the most interesting buildings are Tianhou Palace (天后 宫; Tiānhòugōng; Mazu temple), Yuhuang Cabinet (玉皇阁; Yùhuánggé; Ming Dynasty building) and Tongqingli (large residential building). This street is worth a visit even if it is very touristy. **Tianhou Palace (天后宫; Tiānh òugōng; Mazu temple), temple dedicated to the goddess Mazu and biggest in the North China region.  edit

• Gulou Street (鼓楼街 ; Gǔlóujiē), Gulou West Street-Gulou E St, Nankai District (南 开区 鼓楼西街-鼓楼 东街; Nánk āiqū Gǔlóuxījiē-Gǔlóudōngjiē)( Getting off at Xinanjue Train Stn (西南角) you will be 500 m S of the far western end of Gulou St, bus 652 is running along part of the street, and buses 161, 635, 652, 657, 855, 863, 865 are crossing the street). Ancient cultural street full of cheap and tasty cafes.  edit

• Jiefang Road North (解放北路 ; Jiefang Beilu). Running north-south a couple of streets back from the River Hai, this street is where colonial banks built their branches in Tianjin during the treaty-port era and will definitely be of interest to those interested in colonial architecture or history. Many of the buildings have been retained and are well-preserved, giving the street a distinctly European feel. No longer the central business district, it isn't a very busy street, with noticably less car and pedestrian traffic than other parts of the city, making it a good place to spend a couple of hours wandering. Most of the buildings now house local Chinese banks so feel free to have a look inside (though staff may object to photography) at the interiors, many of which feature original wooden panelling and stained glass. Also on the street is the 'Chinese Muesum of Finance' which is home to several interesting financial artifacts, including the only share certificate in existance featuring a picture of Mao Zedong.  edit

• Heping Road. One of the busiest shopping precincts in Tianjin.  edit

• Machang Dao. Lined with large English style homes, another cultural street in Tianjin.  edit

• Binjiang Dao. Binjiang Dao is Tianjin's main thoroughfare and shopping area. Ask some of the locals and they will try and compare it with the glitz and glamour of Shanghai's Nanjing Lu, possibly the most famous shopping area in the whole of China. With that in mind, it may seem that the people of Tianjin are making one hell of a claim. However, whilst Tianjin may still have quite a way to go in becoming the Shanghai of the north, Binjian does not deserve to be left in the shadows. Making a serious comparison with Nanjing Lu may well be folly, but Binjiang does have several similar qualities. First, and possibly most striking, is the architecture. Like Shanghai, Tianjin also grew around a large colonial presence from Europe and America. Evidence of this is still relatively clear, if you can avert your eyes from the mesmerizing glare of neon signs, you will see that many of the buildings to which they are attached are of classical European design. Two glorious examples of this are the Xinhua bookstore and the city's main post office. Scratch away their rather boring modern-day uses and remove their bulky signs, and you discover two wonderful old buildings.  edit

• Binhai New Area. The 183 km² Binhai New Area holds three administrative areas: Tanggu, Hangu and Dagang, as well as some towns.  edit

 ]Stadiums

• Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, The Water Drop (天津奥林匹克中心体育 场; pinyin: Tiānjīn Àolínpǐkè Zhōngxīn Tǐyùchǎng). The stadium hosted games for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup and Football preliminaries at the 2008 Summer Olympics. It covers 78,000 square meters and has a capacity of 60,000. It as a length of 380 meters, a width of 270 meters, and a height of 53 meters. The stadium is nicknamed "The Water Drop" because the outside of the venue was designed to resemble a drop of water. The stadium cost nearly 1,500,000,000 Yuan to build. The architects were AXS Satow.  edit

• TEDA Football Stadium (Chinese:  泰达足球场). It is a professional football stadium in Tianjin, China, home of Tianjin Teda F.C. The stadium holds 37,450 people and was built in 2004. The stadium is located in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA), and was designed by Peddle Thorp Architects, an Australian architecture firm.  edit