Tianjin 天津

The port city whose European concession district survives intact.

Region

Tianjin

Best months

Apr, May, Sep, Oct

Nights to budget

2

Airport

Binhai International (TSN)

Why visit Tianjin

• Five大道 has hundreds of preserved European villas
• 30 minutes from Beijing by high-speed rail
• The oldest and most complete Italian-style district in Asia

What to see

• • Five Great Avenues (Wudadao)
• • Italian Style Town
• • Tianjin Eye ferris wheel
• • Ancient Culture Street
• • Porcelain House
• • Haihe River cruise

What to eat

• Goubuli steamed buns
• Jianbing guozi (the original)
• Mahua fried dough twists
• Eight Great Bowls
• Crispy fried shrimp

Getting there

Tianjin to Beijing South 30 min; it is the standard day trip or overnight from Beijing.

Tianjin has a metro, so most journeys inside the city cost ¥2–10 and avoid traffic entirely.

Practical guides for Tianjin

City-specific topic pages are being written city by city. In the meantime these national guides apply everywhere.

• Visa & entry

  Whether you need a visa for China, and the three routes that get most travellers in without one.

• Payment & money apps

  Alipay and WeChat Pay now accept foreign cards.

• eSIM & connectivity

  How to get online in China without losing access to Google, WhatsApp and Instagram.

• Safety

  China is statistically one of the safest countries for travellers.

• Getting around

  Metro, taxi, ride-hailing and buses — how each works and which to use when.

• High-speed rail

  The world’s largest high-speed network — how to book, board and not miss your train.

• Food & eating

  How to order, what the regional specialities actually are, and how to handle dietary needs.

• Hotels & booking

  Which sites actually work for foreigners, and what to check before you pay.

• Attraction tickets

  Almost every major attraction now requires a timed online reservation, often days ahead.

• Money & costs

  What a day actually costs, where the money goes, and how to budget by tier.

• Language & communication

  How far English gets you, and the handful of Chinese that changes the trip.

• Apps you need

  The short list of apps that make the trip work, and what each one replaces.