Written by: Feng Yang
Posted on: June 13, 2018 | 
| 中文
The beautiful city of Tianjin
The Belt and Road Initiative reflects the wishes and common interests of people in the countries along the Belt & Road areas. The old Silk Roads have been revitalized and this is the beginning of a new chapter. Meanwhile, the ancient Tianjin Port has also regained its full vitality.
Tianjin, one of the famous historical and cultural cities in China, became well known for its functionality in the canal based transportation of grain to the capital in the ancient times. The city of Tianjin was founded on November 21st of the second year of Emperor Yongle (1405 AD) in the Ming Dynasty, which makes it the only city in ancient China that has a definite founding date. Tianjin is located in the confluence of the five tributaries of the Haihe River on the North China Plain, with the Bohai Sea to the east and Yanshan Mountain to the north. The Haihe River, which is the sixth longest river in China, winds through the city. Tianjin is one of the host cities for the summer Davos Forum.
Tianjin’s unique geographical location and historical opportunities have created different urban styles and features of Tianjin, a combination of ancient and modern, Chinese and Western.
Tianjin Port is the largest integrated trading port in North China, with the largest container terminals in the country. Tianjin Binhai International Airport has a number of international and domestic flight routes, which is also the largest freight transportation center in North China. Tianjin railway hub is the intersection of two major railway lines, Beijing-Shanhaiguan Railway and Beijing-Shanghai Railway. The highways in Tianjin extend in all directions, with perfect traffic infrastructure facilities. So far, Tianjin possesses an integrated modern transport network, with Tianjin Port as the center, and a combination of land, sea and air transportation.
As one of the cities in the first batch of Best Tourist Cities in China, Tianjin is quite rich in tourism resources. The Fifth Avenue in Tianjin, just the same as the Hutongs in Beijing, is the very place to experience the ambience of this city. If one pays a visit to Nankai University and Tianjin University, he or she may further understand the culture of Tianjin. Nankai University, whose buildings have strong artistic features, educated one of the greatest leaders of modern China, Mr. Zhou Enlai. The Ancient Culture Street is the largest modeled antique architectural complex in the city. Most of the 80 individual buildings on the street are one-storey or two-storey, decorated with colored paintings, tile carvings and wood carvings, all falling under the themes of classical Chinese literature, myths and legends.
Tianjin is also famous for its local food, such as Fried Dough Twists of Tianjin and Goubuli Stuffed Buns. There are also quite a few local craftworks, such as Painted Sculptural Art of Clay Figurine Zhang and Yangliuqing Wooden New Year Pictures. Tianjin is also the origin place of many Chinese folk arts, for example, the well-known comic dialogue form called Xiangsheng (cross talk).
Since 1644, lots of teahouses, story-telling houses, and outdoor playhouses have appeared gradually in the places near Tianjin Pier, attracting many performers from afar. Pingxi, a local opera of north and northeast China, and Hebei Clapper Opera, have both taken root here, making Tianjin their “birthplace.” Various kinds of drum music with rich local characteristics became popular in Tianjin, making it the renowned “City of Chinese Folk Art Forms.” Shehuo, a traditional collective of folk festivities, has existed for centuries, passing down from generation to generation, and is still very popular among the villages. Tianjin is also a city of martial arts and the Kung Fu master Huo Yuanjia, who often appears in TV dramas of Hong Kong, is a representative citizen of the city.
Translated by Yang Keli
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