Last weekend we went to Tianjin for two nights of sleeping in real beds. Wonderful.
No one needs to go to Tianjin. It’s not a famous Chinese city per se, and you might say that leaving Beijing to go to Tianjin is a little like leaving NYC to go to Newark. This is not a city you’ll encounter on a great tour of China, and we had mixed recommendations on it. Some said it was lovely, others said it was awful. But we wanted to take a ride on the bullet train and the girls had a three day weekend… so off we went. The bullet train runs from Beijing to Tianjing every half hour. You simply show up at the train station and take your pick of trains. This is fast, easy, cheap transportation. Fast as in 336 Km per hour (208 miles per hour). Right up Art’s alley… and the girls and I enjoyed it too.
Tiajin is a port city of about 12 million, sitting on the Hai River and the Bohai Gulf. It has a developing waterfront area and a lot of old British architecture that is (miraculously) being restored, and one area we strolled through on a very quiet Sunday morning was similar to a tree-lined Georgetown neighborhood. Beyond that, the similarities end. Most of Tianjin is not so appealing with row after row of drab apartment buildings cramming millions of minions into dense quarters. But! We managed to find the city’s sweet spots and were happy to get away. We took a horse drawn carriage ride through the “romantic streets” area, got in lots of swimming and work outs at the hotel, and two nights of really good sleep. Oh… and we were upgraded to club class (though staying on the 41st floor can be unsettling in China)… and took the girls to their first happy hour (for the hors d’oeuvres). So. A fun weekend all around.
CRH (China Railway High Speed) runs a tight ship... beautiful new trains that run on time...
Most of the distance between Beijing and Tianjin is beautiful countryside... though hard to get a clear picture from a speeding train...
Safe landing...
From the Tianjin drum tower plaza... in every direction are massive apartment buildings...
This is how much of China lives... everywhere I turn here, this is what I see...
Bell girl...
The Tianjin drum tower houses no drums. Only a bell. Never found out why they call it the drum tower...
Old area near the drum tower...
Love these calligraphy supply stores...
Tianjin swimmers...
Sunday morning stroll...
Old arches...
Backside of the famous Astor Hotel. We would have stayed here if their pool had not been out of commission...
Built in 1863...
Time and time again we wander into really nice places... only to find them deserted....
Lovely, but something is missing...
Many buildings in this area have been recently renovated and it was refreshing for me to see the attention to detail they were pouring into some...
We enjoyed a very quiet stroll along the water on this morning. Again, for a city of 12 million, there was no one around...
California temperatures and bougainvillea... (to be fair, there were people in this park, and later in the day, the town came alive...)
Nice...
Angels at the local temple...
Purchasing offerings...
Namaste...
For wishes...
Elle's game...
Bride arriving at our hotel...
Elle loves this...
Goubuli is the famous dumpling chain in Tianjin so we had to eat there once. Good dumplings... and house beer...
Tianjin's Ancient Cultural Street... we took a quick pass through...
I keep spying these teapots...
Love...
Unlike the Astor Hotel, the train station was packed...
...on a 90 plus degree day with no AC in the station...
Here comes Artie...
Fast trains and slow trains...
adsventuresinchina 
Yay! Our ‘little’ Tianjin go some tourists! 🙂 Glad you had a good time.
I don’t know what I will do without your wonderful blog when you come home!! It has been so wonderful to see you pictures and read of your adventures. Your girls are so beautiful and of course Art isn’t bad either! I really think you have a book ready to be published!! Enjoy the final weeks and safe travels home!
Whoa!!! 208 mph. , that is fast….Bob said 12hrs. from Pgh. to LA! That would work for me 🙂
Nice shot of Elle and Art on the train and nice Pittsburgh shirt on Artie.
That is one big Beautiful Bell and I also like the big Tea Pots…..Nancy, I know you would love to ship one of the tea pots home, haha. Also love the angels on the old local temple bldg.
Cute shot of Cece giving Elle a hug after the ‘ride’ and also the one of them in their ‘bathing caps’. 😉
Grandma Clara