china-10-tianjin_v1_m56577569830510997.pdfVIP

© Lonely Planet Publications 177 Tiānjīn 天津 Like Běijīng, Shànghǎi and Chóngqìng, Tiānjīn belongs to no province – it’s a special municipality, with considerable autonomy. Its history as a foreign concession, large port and European architecture suggest muted echoes of Shànghǎi, but Tiānjīn is often over- looked by travellers charging to Běijīng. T I Tiānjīn is proud of its impressive concession-era architecture, which lends the city a kind Ā N of shabby nobility. In the run-up to the 2008 Olympics, the city is sprucing itself up and J Ī N many notable buildings have plaques detailing their histories. Not to be upstaged by big brother Běijīng, Tiānjīn has joined in the frenzied sport of demoli- tion and road-widening, levelling huge swathes of the city. Its modest subway system has been modernised and extended; dramatic new bridges span the Hai River; and modern architecture pokes into the stark skies. But the city still exemplifies the disparities of modern China, with smart office complexes overlooking dilapidated courtyards from which spill chic