Tianjin

Situation

Tianjin is in a plain with the mouth of the Hai He and at the northern end of the Grand Channel.

The territory of the autonomous municipality extends on: 11920 km ². It has a maritime frontage (gulf of Bohai) in the east and is next to the autonomous Municipalité of Beijing in the North-West. On its other borders, it touches the province of the Hebei.

History

With the opening of the Large Channel under the Dynasty Sui (581 - 618), Tianjin, then called Zhigu becomes an important a commercial city and port. In 1404, the emperor Yongle gives to the city the name of Tianjin, literally the “ford of the Emperor”.

In 1725, the city becomes prefecture.

City depending on the central capacity, it is there that are concluded two important treaties between the Chinese imperial capacity and of the powers Occident ales :

the treaty of 1858, signed under the British threat at the time of the Second war of opium and granting to the European right to settle in a certain number of ports chinois ;
the treaty of 1885 recognizing protectorate French on the Annam and the Tonkin.

The time of the European concessions

In the middle of the 19th century, the banks of the Hai He, close to Beijing, interest the European powers. Tianjin offers an ideal geographical configuration. Opened with the river activity, Hai He draws an arc of circle in the middle of a ventilated basin being prolonged until the Mer of Bohai.

In 1860, the treaty of Beijing, which puts an end to the Second war of opium, offers concessions to three western powers: France, the United Kingdom and the the United States. In 1894, new concessions are allotted to the Germany and the Japan. At the end of War of the Boxers, four other concessions are granted the Italy, with the Austria-Hungary, the Russia and the Belgium. In their wake, twenty embassies settle with Tientsin (as one then calls it in Occident).

The concession division is arbitrary. They recover variable extents. The United Kingdom and Germany cut the lions share, whereas Belgians and Italians are confined with confined spaces. Between 1860 and 1870, the first masonries are born. Each concession reflects a style of each country. Western Architecte S work out of them the plans, some will become very prosperous. In edge of Hai He, the Astor hotel becomes the point of rallying of the Western contractors. It is the first hotel establishment of China of North open the abroads.

In its first years, the presence of the Westerners is not sure. In June 1870, an important crowd ransacks the French orphanage. Eighteen foreigners are killed of which the consul. However the Dynastie Qing brings its excuses and a severe repression is exerted against the troublemakers. The history of the concessions evolves/moves then at the rate/rhythm of a particularly chaotic international situation. Very committed to the Filipino , the Americans yield in 1902 their concession to the United Kingdom. In the tread of the entry of China in war on the side of the Allies, in March 1917, the German concessions and Austro-Hungarians are dissolved.

From 1902 to 1937, Tianjin knows one period ostentation. Tempting character, Gustav Detring incarnates the dynamism of the city. With the Li Hongzhang service, the man exerts without the title the role of Maire of the city. Herbert Clark Hoover, future president of the United States resides then at Tianjin. In its newspaper, it témoigne : “It is a universal city, like the world in miniature size. All nationalities, all the architectural styles, all the kitchens are côtoient there. ” On its side, the general George Marshall who will remain a time in the American Barracks ajoute : “My first contact with China was surprising. I in a house of pace Viennese, I ate a Pot-au-feu, I played Badminton and the evening, how much time didn't I placed drink a German Bière? Tie started from this experiment, I always praised in my political life the merits of a universal and fraternal city. ” In 1932, Teilhard of Chardin there remains, “time, says it, to take language with so opposite cultures”. Open and free city, Tianjin accommodates refugees. In 1935, it shelters a Jewish community of three thousand five hundred people of which many survivors of the Pogrom S. “Whereas our brothers on the the Vistula suffered the martyr, we live happy, without least turbulence” underlines Harry Rozents, originating in Poland. In 1938, the Synagog of Nanjing Lu is inaugurated in large pumps. “Western, Chinese and Jewish were festival” remembers Harry Rozents.

Tianjin is also the city of notable Chinese. As testify some to many plates at the entry of the houses, lords of the war and well-read men settle in the concessions. Roof of freedom, Puyi, last emperor of the Dynasty Qing, after being driven out of Beijing will reside at it until 1931. Tianjin is also often regarded as the town of adoption of Zhou Enlai which lived part of its childhood there. Later, its visits repeated with the Astor hotel testified to a real attachment at this city.

The city since 1937

In 1937, the Japanese Armée occupies the concessions. The Westerners are hustled, several buildings are plundered. On their decline, the last concessions are dissolved of 1943 with 1945 by the nationalist government . The January 15th 1949, Tianjin is released by the popular Armée with release. All its architectural heritage becomes then “well of State”. But no specific administration is created to ensure management of it. Each district of the city maintains its park old houses like any other construction. During the Cold war, the heritage is forsaken. Episodically maintained, the frame worsens, in particular the old Russian concessions and French. The rate/rhythm of degradations accelerates with the urban Industrialization. Polluting Usine S are built in the middle of the city. Unrelentingly, the buildings are dilapidated, some threaten ruin, the walls blacken.

In the Years 1980, a new threat watches for. The demand in residences and office involves an almost unverifiable spiral of new constructions to the random completion. The financial bulimia of the real groups is added which are sulky this heritage considered to be not very profitable. Soon the old Russian concession is absorbed under the concrete. Scrapes-ciels are fixed between the old buildings, crush them at once.

Economy

With only 1 h 20 of train of Beijing, Tianjin is famous for the number impressing of companies turned towards the international one. Indeed, Tianjin is an industrial and commercial center.

Tourism

Today, Tianjin offers the aspect of a city choking under pollution, noisy and chaotic. The enormous work started along Hai He like the restoration of the old concessions and the improvement of the access roads to the city should continue until 2008. On this date, Tianjin will have better pace. Perhaps will it join again then with the golden age which she had known in the Années 1930?

In spite of the proximity of the capital, Tianjin is a cheap city. Tianjin does not have anything a tourist city, however, some recesses deserve the détour :

Binjiang Dao : a commercial Mall. One finds there mainly clothing, shoes and watches at prices defying any competition. The bargaining is of rigor. It goes without saying all these articles are Contrefaçon s ;
the street of the old culture, Gu Wenhua Jie : it is about a district built on the basis of traditional Chinese architecture. There too, it is a shopping area, sometimes called “district of the artists”; indeed, it is here that one finds draftsmen of portraits and even sculptors. One also finds Calligraphie S, brushes, seals, kites, traditional craft industry… Tianjin was the site of a walk of the opposition in 1989. It is also possible of there marchander ;
Jiuba Jie, the street of the bars : zone where many bars and nightclubs often very different from/to each other concentrate. Ali Baba Jiuba is him located near the university of Nankai ( Nankai Daxue ) and is mainly attended by Westerners and students. In addition one finds very many Karaoké S a little everywhere, the KTV, which are in general appreciated of the Chinese.

The food, which there is very cheap and is relatively variée : in the district Korea N, one finds tables installed on the pavement which are used as restaurant with skewers, the restaurants goubuli , kind of fast-food to Chinese, which serve the Baozi which made their reputation, and one finds, for nostalgic occident, pizzerias and quantity of McDonald's (or more often of the KFC).

European concessions

The concessions gather an inheritance of approximately thousand houses and masonries of Western invoice, built between 1860 and 1940. Today the taking into account by the municipality of this richness and its will to give of the order is hardly easy matter to achieve. Certain destruction is irremediable, and of the buildings are in very bad condition.

Located on left bank of Hai He, the old Italian concession (forty houses) is currently in the process of restoration under the control of a known Italian company for its work in the historical center of Naples. This district points out Imperia or Alassio. “Strolling in the Bo streets Have CAD and Jian Guo CAD (ex-via Marchese and Corso Vittorio Emanuele), of only one blow, I reestablished in my country” told in the Années 1920, an Italian adventurer.

Drawn around broad streets and of a green district, the Anglo-American concession is well preserved. Except exception, the buildings require a light restoration. Surrounded by small gardens, architecture is of inspiration victorienne. Sometimes, of daring masonries surprise like, for example, the Institute of the foreign languages. In this district, the American masonries are fuller, the wider gardens.

The French concession has a more complex structure. True play of track, it shelters disparate works mixing with the different kinds and various times. Houses of Master and voluntarist modernism are côtoient there. As the metallic bridge spanning testifies some Hai He or the Cathédrale Notre-Dame to Victoria, right counterpart of a church in country of Artois. The French concession knew a very broken course at the conclusion always dubious. Built in the shopping area of Heiping Lu, the masonries are encircled by modern buildings and a badly controlled marketing activity. The church of Nanjing Lu is wedged by two scrapes-ciels curiously unfinished. In the middle of the district, houses laid out in circle surround “the French garden”. Eleven houses should be restored. However this project runs up against the real pressure of this district to the very dynamic economic activity. In order to cure it, a Franco-Chinese company, Clouded Messengers, engaged a replanning of the offer and commercial routes of the dictrict of Heiping.

The Russian concession, it, lived. If some masonries remain that and there, the whole of the district is drowned under scrapes-ciels and the expressways. In its prolongation, the Belgian concession is nothing any more but one pale memory. Lastly, the Japanese concession was durably sinicized.

Administrative subdivisions

The municipality of Tianjin exerts its jurisdiction on eighteen subdivisions - fifteen districts and three counties.

Six districts are located in the urban area of Tianjin :

the district of Heping - 和平区 Hépíng Qū ;
the district of Hexi - 河西区 Héxī Qū ;
the district of Hebei - 河北区 Héběi Qū ;
the district of Nankai - 南开区 Nánkāi Qū ;
the district of Hedong - 河东区 Hédōng Qū ;
the district of Hongqiao - 红桥区 Hōngqiáo Qū .

Three districts are located along the côte :

the district of Tanggu - 塘沽区 Tánggū Qū ;
the district of Hangu - 汉沽区 Hàngū Qū ;
the district of Dagang - 大港区 Dàgǎng Qū .

Four districts correspond to satellite towns and rural areas close to the center urbain :

the district of Jinnan - 津南区 Jīnnán Qū ;
the district of Dongli - 东丽区 Dōnglì Qū ;
the district of Xiqing - 西青区 Xīqīng Qū ;
the district of Beichen - 北辰区 Běichén Qū .

The two remaining districts and the three counties correspond to cities and rural areas further away from the center urbain :

the district of Baodi - 宝坻区 Bǎodǐ Qū — county of Baodi before 2001 ;
the district of Wuqing - 武清区 Wǔqīng Qū — county of Wuqing before 2000 ;
the county of Ji - 蓟县 Jì Xiàn ;
the county of Jinghai - 静海县 Jìnghǎi Xiàn ;
the county of Ninghe - 宁河县 Nínghé Xiàn .

Moreover, the Zone of economic development and technological of Tianjin (TEDA), although not being formally an administrative subdivision, profits however from rights similar to those of a normal district.

These districts and counties themselves are divided (with the December 31st 2004) into 240 subdivisions of level canton, including/understanding 120 boroughs, 18 cantons, 2 ethnic cantons and 100 under-districts.

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