Tianjin

What do I know about Tianjin? Until recently, my knowledge of the city was quite limited. I was aware that it is a short train journey from Beijing and that it’s located near to the coast. Tianjin is now synonymous with the tragic explosions in August 2015, which killed and wounded hundreds of people. Typing ‘Tianjin’ into a search engine shows that currently, three of the top ten Tianjin-related searches are about the catastrophic blast.

I had a fleeting visit to Tianjin in 2013, when my flight from Inner Mongolia to Beijing was diverted due to bad weather. I was taken to a pretty swanky hotel for a few hours sleep but did not have enough time to see the city before I caught the connecting flight to the capital.

On 3rd September, there was a national holiday to mark the 70th anniversary of victory over Japan. Jensen and I decided to take this opportunity to visit Beijing’s neighbouring metropolis. I was surprised by how quickly the high-speed took us to our destination. In fact, it took us longer to get to the Beijing railway station than it did for us to get from Beijing to Tianjin. In just thirty minutes we were in a different city.

The national holiday resulted in pristine clear skies and fresh air. It ensured that we could enjoy the interesting scenery of our new surroundings. I was impressed by the European-style buildings. The colonial architecture is a popular tourist attraction in Tianjin.

While roaming the city, Jensen and I were able to sample some delicious food, including the famous Tianjin jianbing. These savoury crepes are different to the ones I have eaten in Beijing, as they include extra fillings such as youtiao (a deep fried dough stick). We tried a jianbing from a street vendor and later visited a famous jianbing seller who attracts queues of hungry customers. Jensen and I both agreed that the jianbing from the street vendor was actually more delicious. We also ate lamb noodle soup and 烧饼夹牛肉, a flaky pastry filled with beef and egg. 

In the evening, we walked around the streets and stopped to take some photographs near the river and Tianjin Eye. Being so close to the sea, Jensen was keen to try some fresh seafood so we stopped off at a restaurant and gorged on prawns, clams, fish and vegetables.

Tianjin was a nice break from Beijing. I didn’t realise that two months later I would be seeing a completely different, luxurious side to the city...

Jensen’s friend, Lisa, was organising a José Carreras music concert and invited us to stay at the Tianjin Shangri-La and attend the show on the 15th November. The weekend itself was a huge contrast to our previous trip to Tianjin – this time the air pollution levels were extremely high.

But the smog was not too much of a concern - we were far too busy enjoying the hospitality in the Club Lounge, which allowed us to snack continuously throughout our stay and remain hydrated with a plethora of beverages. We only ventured out to visit a nearby Hai Di Lao hot pot restaurant in the evening.

Before the concert, Jensen and I were able to meet José and had our photographs taken with him. During the performance, I was surprised by how powerful his singing voice is. It was a fantastic way to spend a smoggy weekend and I appreciate Lisa’s kindness and generosity.

What do I know about Tianjin now? It is a city that is trying its best to move on from a dreadful catastrophe. It has enough attractions and interesting locations that make it a perfect weekend getaway and I am sure there is plenty more to enjoy on future trips.