Tianjin is a special municipality in Northern China which glories in its jurisdictional independence and autonomy, rarely found in Chinas major industrial cities. This uniqueness appears to be carried over to its very atmosphere; the city appears to be caught between a state of yuppie-hood which is a product of its rapid urbanization, and a certain dreaming country charm and insular conservativeness which is probably a result of its strong ties with its traditional heritage. This is seen in the presence of nature and unhurried serenity that rub shoulders with the trappings of the citys industrial modernity.
One such city icon that showcases this dichotomy is the Haihe River, which runs across the green-blanketed sprawls of Tianjin, appearing as a long jade belt gleaming luminescent in the sun and moonshine. This river has been the chief nurturer of Tianjin trade and agriculture in the days of old, feeding and fertilizing the soils of the city, making it ideal farming grounds for the community and later spawning a flourishing naval trade between communities up and down the great river. This cherished waterway is the result of a convergence between five Tianjin Rivers the North and South Canals, the Daqing River, the Yongding River and the Ziya River. In addition to the numerous millennia-strong cultural and socio-economic ties formed between this river and its people, its limpid green waters also imbue the surrounding scenery with a great sense of beauty and serenity.
When one takes in the sights of the river today, from the well-recommended vantage points of the Sanchakou river fork, Daguangming Bridge or the zonal Haihe Park, it is hard to believe that the river used to be a major shipping and trading centre spawned by the river navigation that began 1800 years ago. Tianjin today has outgrown the need for nurture and feeding by its mother river, thanks to its thriving modern industries. Instead the smiling river has become a home for tourists who flock to its banks which are be-speckled in flowering shrubs such as roses, weeping forsythia, scarlet sage and cockscomb. Lined with picturesque springs, flying rain and figure sculptures which look all the more romantic on moonlit nights, the river banks of Haihe are immensely conducive for relaxation and perhaps the occasional spot of fishing. The lamps lining either side of the bank are switched on simultaneously at night, so that from afar, it appears that the streetlights and white-tipped ripples of the river are exchanging twinkles.
The river can be best viewed in all its moods from several vantage points scattered throughout the city, which can be best accessed if visitors find accommodation in the city centre. When speaking of
Tianjin hotels, it must be advised that the discerning traveler with a taste for luxury will add the Raffles Hotel Tianjin to their repertoire of Tianjin experiences. This
luxury hotel in Tianjin is not only the citys tallest hotel located at the heart of its central business district, affording panoramic views of the cityscape but also offers a level of luxury unlooked for in this introverted yet picturesque old-world metropolis.
