Located in the north of China, about 2 hours' drive from Beijing, Tianjin is one of China's four semi-autonomous city Municipalities, along with Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing. It rests against the Yanshan Mountains, borders Bohai Bay and is traversed by the Haihe River. Because of its history as a foreign concession after the Opium Wars, Tianjin is often nicknamed ''the Shanghai of the North.''

Today, Tianjin is a major industrial base and a transportation hub serving Hebei Province and the nearby municipality of Beijing. Its favorable geographical location on Bohai Bay makes it one of the most important ports in the northeast. Due to its close proximity to the capital, the city has always been strategically important. It thus has a long and colorful history.

Travelers quickly fall in love with Tianjin for its panoramic views, fascinating buildings, laid-back lifestyle and tasty seafood. Its streets are lined with European-style buildings, as well as the Qing Dynasty-style structures of Guwenhua Jie and Tianhou Gong. The latter is a temple that also serves as the place to worship Mazu, Goddess of the Sea. Other interesting temples in the city include a Confucius Temple, Wen Miao; the Buddhist Dabeichanyuan Monastery and Dulesi, the Temple of Unique Joy.

The areas around the outskirts also boast some wonderful historic sites and natural scenery. Fort Dagukou was once one of the strongest forts in the Bohai area, while the serene Mount Panshan is today a playground for residents of Tianjin and Beijing who wish to escape the city for the weekend. And history and nature come together in the form of the Great Wall at the Huangya Pass.

Other worthwhile sites include the Tianjin Museum of Science and Technology, which boasts one of the greatest planetariums in China, or the Tianjin Natural History Museum. The city is also home to the Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Memorial Hall.

Though the city's nightlife is quieter than that of Beijing or Shanghai, there are plenty of bars and restaurants to satisfy the hungry, thirsty traveler. There are also plenty of stalls selling local snacks like Shiba Jie Mahua (fried dough twist), Goubuli Baozi (steamed stuffed bun) and Erduoyan Zhagao (Chinese doughnut).

They eyes of the world will be on Tianjin in 2008, as it is to host the football competition for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. And the city will also host its usual array of exhibitions, meetings and cultural and tourist activities.

Warning：The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.