TIENTSIN

Chinese (Wade-Giles) T'ien-ching, or (Pinyin) Tianjin, city and province-level shih (municipality), eastern China. Tientsin is the third largest city of the republic and is the administrative centre of Tientsin shih, an administrative entity equivalent to a sheng (province) and directly subordinate to the central government of China. Located at the northeastern extremity of the North China Plain, it lies about 60 miles (100 km) southeast of Peking and about 35 miles (56 km) inland from the Po Hai (Gulf of Chihli) of the Yellow Sea. Since the Yuan (Mongol) dynasty (12791368) it has been a major transportation and trading centre. It is the leading port in northern China and, after Shanghai, the country's second largest manufacturing centre. Tientsin is situated at the confluence of several streams on the lower coastal plain, 32 miles (51 km) by river from the Yellow Sea. Central Tientsin is located where the Tzu-ya and Hsin-k'ai rivers and the north and south sections of the Grand Canal (Pei Yn-ho and Nan Yn-ho, respectively) converge to form the Hai River, which then flows eastward into the Po Hai. The city stands on an alluvial plain less than 15 feet (5 m) above sea level. Despite its proximity to the Yellow Sea, the city's climate is continental in nature with large daily and seasonal temperature ranges. The average January temperature is 39 F (4 C) and the July average is 84 F (29 C). Southerly breezes bring in moist summer air from the North Pacific, and cold, dry, Siberian air masses influence winter weather patterns. The Hai River has long been subject to frequent flooding, and measures to control this problem have been taken since the 1890s. Since the Chinese Communist victory in 1949, Tientsin's economy has been transformed from one based mainly on trade and commerce to that of a diversified heavy- and light-manufacturing centre. Chief among the heavy industries are the production of heavy machinery, chemicals and plastics, and iron and steel; shipbuilding and ship repair are also important. Light industries include textiles, the processing of foods and hides, and the manufacture of rubber goods and paper. Banking and trade, however, continue to be vital to Tientsin's economic life, and most of North China's exports and imports pass through Tientsin. The urban core of Tientsin extends 7 miles (11 km) from east to west and about 9 miles (14 km) from north to south. The central business district, Ho-p'ing, is located on the west bank of the Hai River and contains many large department stores, restaurants, and hotels. To the northwest is the old district, with its irregular and winding streets. Farther northwest lies Hung-ch'iao district, a mixed residential and industrial area that is famous for its handicrafts. The newer western and southern districts of Hsin-hua, Ho-hsi, and Nan-k'ai were developed by Europeans during their dominance of the China trade. Hsin-hua remains the chief trading, shipping, and administrative area, while Ho-hsi and Nan-k'ai have extensive areas devoted to residential or recreational use. The districts east of the Hai RiverHo-pei and Ho-tungare centres of industry and transport. Tientsin's eclectic architecture, reflecting many foreign influences, was often built hastily and without much thought as to congruity of design. Some public buildings from the period in the 1950s of close relations with the U.S.S.R. reflect monolithic Soviet styles. Among Tientsin's cultural institutions, the Museum of Fine Arts is noted for its collection of Yan, Ming, and Ch'ing dynasty paintings; others are the Tientsin Library, the Tientsin Science Hall, and the City Museum of History. The Industrial Exhibition Hall and the National Minorities' Cultural Palace hold special cultural exhibits; operas, plays, and concerts are held at People's Festival Hall. Higher-educational institutions include Nan-k'ai (founded 1919) and Tientsin (founded 1895) universities; specialized schools include the Polytechnic Institute, the Central Conservatory of Art and Music, and schools of education and medicine. Tientsin's role as the leading port of North China has stimulated its development as a transportation centre. In 1984 Tientsin was designated one of China's open cities in the open-door policy inviting foreign investment. Railways connect the city with Shanghai, Peking, and Shen-yang. Many inland waterways connect Tientsin with cities in southern Hopeh sheng (province). The Ching T'ang highway, running through Tientsin, is the main all-weather road from the sea to the interior of the North China Plain. Public transportation is well developed, and the first miles of a subway system were opened in 1983. Area city, 1,651 square miles (4,276 square km); municipality, 4,365 square miles (11,305 square km). Pop. (1990) city, 4,574,689; municipality, 8,785,402. Chinese (Wade-Giles) T'ien-ching, or (Pinyin) Tianjin, city and province-level shih (municipality), located to the east of Hopeh Province, at the northeastern extremity of the North China Plain. After Shanghai and Peking, it is the third largest municipality of China and, after Shanghai, the second most important manufacturing centre. It is the leading port of North China. Central Tientsin (the municipality's urban core) lies about 60 miles (96 kilometres) southeast of central Peking and about 35 miles inland from the Po Hai (Po Gulf), a shallow inlet of the Yellow Sea. Tientsin Municipality, like Peking and Shanghai, is under direct control of the State Council and covers an area of about 4,365 square miles (11,305 square kilometres). Tientsin (meaning literally Heavenly Ford) has been an important transport and trading centre since the Yan (Mongol) dynasty (12061368). It was famous as a cosmopolitan centre long before the arrival of the European trading community in the 19th century. Its maritime orientation and its role as the commercial gateway to Peking fostered the growth of an ethnically diverse and commercially innovative population. The city is noted for its woven handicraft products, terra-cotta figurines, hand-painted woodblock prints, and extensive seafood cuisine. Additional reading Kenneth G. Lieberthal, Revolution and Tradition in Tientsin, 194952 (1980), examines interrelations among economic development, administrative organization, and mass mobilization strategies during the early years of Communist control. Katherine Ch'u Lyle, Report from China, Planned Birth in Tianjin, China Quarterly, 85:55167 (1980), documents family planning programs in the late 1970s. Baruch Boxer History Evolution of the city The marshy, poorly drained area surrounding contemporary Tientsin was sparsely populated until the Sung dynasty (9601126), when the settlement of San Ch'a K'ou was built on the west bank of the Hai Ho. The original settlement was later joined by the larger town of Chih-ku, built on high ground at the confluence of the Tzu-ya and Hai rivers. Chih-ku grew rapidly as a port and commercial centre, and it became the chief storage, transfer, and distribution point for grain and other foodstuffs from central and southern China. In recognition of the importance of Chih-ku (then called Hai-chin) as a shipping centre, the Yan (Mongol) government (12061368) established offices for the regulation of navigation and customs and expanded the town's warehouse and harbour facilities. The city also became a major salt producer when salterns were constructed along the Hai Ho. The development of modern Tientsin began during the Ming dynasty (13681644), when the national capital was shifted from Nanking to Peking. In 1368 the settlement became a garrison town and was named T'ien-chin-wei (Defense of the Heavenly Ford). A large military base was built and a rectangular wall constructed in 1425. The town prospered as it became the main gateway to Peking, and its population was swelled by immigrants from Shantung, Kiangsu, and Fukien provinces. By the beginning of the Ch'ing (Manchu) dynasty (16441911/12), Tientsin had become the leading economic centre of North China because of its location at the northern terminus of the Grand Canal (Ta Yn-ho). As better inland waterway connections were established, there was a steady increase in the city's volume of trade. Members of the first Dutch diplomatic mission to China in the mid-17th century commented favourably on the well-constructed 25-foot- (7.6-metre-) high wall surrounding the city and noted the many temples and the large commercial and marketing area. Economic prosperity declined temporarily during the mid-19th century when the European nations trading with China unremittingly pressed their demands for commercial and diplomatic privileges. The treaties of Tientsin, during the second Opium War (185660) against China, were signed by the British, French, and Chinese in 1858. They authorized, among other provisions, the establishment of British and French concessions in Tientsin. Between 1895 and 1902, concessions were given to Japan, Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and Belgium. Hostilities were resumed in Tientsin in 1860, and the city was shelled by the British and French; the Convention of Peking then declared Tientsin an open trading port. Ten years later, a violent expression of Chinese antiforeign feeling erupted in the city when the French Catholic orphanage and cathedral were attacked. In 1900, renewed antiforeign demonstrations led to the shelling and occupation of the city by Allied (Western) forces and the destruction of the old city wall. By the end of the 19th century, Tientsin had grown to more than 200,000 people, with about half the population residing within the old Chinese city. Living conditions for the Chinese were in sharp contrast to those in the spacious, well-tended European quarters that were distributed to the southeast and along the riverbanks. Tientsin became an important ocean shipping centre by 1900. The Huang Ho shifted its course, and the Grand Canal became silted up in the early 1850s, thereby restricting inland waterway traffic through the city, and shipping operations were shifted eastward along the banks of the Hai Ho. Facilities were also built at Ta-ku and T'ang-ku at the mouth of the Hai Ho. The 20th century Under the Republic of China (191149), Tientsin became a special municipality (shih) under the direct administration of the National government. In 1935 the Japanese attempted to extend their control over North China by establishing an autonomous area in eastern Hopeh Province, which was to be administered by Japanese military authorities in Tientsin. A year later, they presented demands to the Chinese authorities that were designed to weaken Chinese control over the area. With the onset of the Sino-Japanese War (193745), the Japanese occupied Tientsin, and in 1939 they blockaded the British and French concessions in response to anti-Japanese demonstrations. During the Communist Revolution (194549), Tientsin remained under Nationalist control until mid-January 1949, when the city was captured by the Communists. Since then, Tientsin's growth as a trading and manufacturing centre has been responsive to internal development needs. Despite its proximity to Peking, the city retains a distinctive character, attributable to its functional and utilitarian origins.