Tianjin
Tianjin is a provincial level city located in the People’s Republic of China. It is the sixth largest city in the country and covers an area forty-five hundred square miles with a population of over eleven million people. This city is situated on the Hai He River. Tianjin is just south of Beijing and west of the Bohai Gulf. Prior to 1404, Tianjin was name Zhigu and it wasn’t until later in the fifteenth century, when the Grand Canal of China was opened, that the city would blossom into a trading hub.
Tianjin’s economy is driven by manufacturing, fishing and farming. Major industries in the city include car manufacturing, mechanical industries, petrochemical industries, textiles and salt production. Transportation through the city is handled by air, bus and rail. The major airport in the area is Tianjin Binhai International Airport and the city has four rail lines. The rail lines in the city are Jingshan Railway, Jinpu Railway, Jinji Railway and Tianjin Jinba Railway.
Tourism is another important part of Tianjin’s economy. One of the most popular attractions in the city is the Dabeiyuan Monastery. This monastery is located on the Tianwei Road in the Hebei District of the city. It is known to locals as the Daci Dabei Kwan-yin houses. This monastery is one of the oldest and well preserved buildings in the entire city. Dabeiyuan Monastery was erected during the end of the Ming Dynasty. The golden age of the monastery, and the period when it went through the most renovations is the Quing Dynasty. The Dabeiyuan Monastery covers an area of over ten thousand square miles and consists of two main parts, the Western Monastery and the Eastern Monastery. The western portion was erected in 1669 and the eastern portion was built in 1940. The western portion is home to the Tianjin Buddhist Institute, and consist of Buddhist Abbot Hall and Wenwu Hall. The eastern portion consists of Dabei Hall, Tianwang Hall, Grand Hall and Dizang Hall.
The Grand Hall of the Dabeiyuan Monastery is set in the middle of this building and its main feature are hundreds of statues carved in wood, stone, iron and bronze. The statues are representations of famous Chinese Buddhist and deities including Maitreya, Sakyamuni and Kwan-yin. Dabei Hall contains the statue of Kwan-yin. This statue has twenty four arms and a very spooky pair of eyes. Inside Tianwang Hall lies the statue of Buddha Maitreya. On either side are the statues of the Heavenly King.
Another prominent attraction in Tianjin is the Tianjin Great Mosque. This mosque is one of the most famous mosques in all of China. It was erected during the Qing Dynasty and covers an area of over fifteen thousand square feet. This mosque is composed of four main features. These include the Archway, Prayer Hall, Screen Wall and Preaching Hall. Inside the mosque are over sixty tablets written in both Chinese and Arabic. These have been written by famous calligraphers and some of them are over three hundred years old. A fascinating feature of this mosque is that it contains two miniature Qurans. Each one of them is about the size of half of a match box. This mosque is still a very active part of the community and over a thousand Muslims come here to worship every week.
The Huangyaguan Great Wall is another attraction to see in the city. This is a beautiful example of ancient Chinese military know-how and was erected during the Northern Qi Dynasty. The Jinmen Guli is another site to visit in the city. Actually, this is an old street where visitors can find all manner of goods for sale. These include antiques, jade items, sculptures and handmand crafts.
A beautiful museum in the city is the Tianjin Museum. This is one of the biggest musuems in the city and covers an area of one hundred and fifty thousand square feet. The building has a very unique design that makes it look like a swan spreading its downy wings. Inside this museum is an extensive collection of ancient Chinese artifacts and art. This includes over two hundred thousand items of paintings, bronzeware, jade items, seals, bones, coin and historic documents.
The Tianjin Water Park is a large waterpark located in the city. It was established in 1951 and covers an area of over one hundred and twenty-six hectares. This waterpark contains many different kinds of log flumes, boat rides and swimming pools. This park is the most popular attraction in the entire city.
Tianjin is a city that goes out of its way to attract tourist. This city has many shops, street vendors, restaurants, cafes and hotels littered all over. There are also a large number of historical and cultural attractions. These include the Boxer Rebellion Museum (Luzutang), Guwan Shichang Antique Market, Wen Miao Confucius Temple, Yuhuangge Taoist Temple, Temple of Great Compassion (a Zen Buddist Temple), St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Tianjin Jewish Synagogue, Tianjin Zoo, Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Our Lady of Victory Church, Memorial to Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao, The Century Clock of Tianjin, Wu Da Dao, Tianjin Eye, Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev Theme Park, TEDA Football Stadium and Lishunde Grand Hotel.
