Tianjin Travel Guide

Tianjin, once abbreviated as Jin, Jingu, Gushang, Zhigu, Dinggu, Jin Gate, Sanjin, and Yingjin in history, is one of the 4 municipalities directly under the Central Government of the People's Republic of China. Tianjin is the third-largest city in China next to Beijing and Shanghai.

Tianjin is not appealing at first glance: a large metropolis filled with concrete steel structures. However, the city remains a sizable area of wonderful colonial architecture that illustrates its past.

Top attractions in Tianjin are the Huangyaguan Great Wall (Yellow Cliff Great Wall), concession-era architecture, Tianjin Old City, Dabei Buddhist Monastery.

Kites and New Year pictures of Tianjin are very famous. One of the specialties of the place is the two-day kite-flying festival held in early April or late September.

At the end of 2004, the population of Tianjin Municipality was 10.24 million, of which 9.33 million were holders of Tianjin hukou (permanent residence). Among Tianjin permanent residents, 5.56 million were urban, and 3.76 million were rural. The majority of Tianjin residents are Han Chinese, which occupies 97.29% according to the 2000 census from the Department of Population, Social, Science and Technology Statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics of China. Minorities include Hui, Koreans, Manchus, and Mongols.