Tianjin

Tianjin is one of the ancient cities of China that boasts of a cosmopolitan cultural legacy. The word Tianjin literally means 'the place where the emperor crossed the river'. The city boasts of splendid historical background with many of the Chinese rulers ruling over the city and then later it being invaded and ruled by a host of countries including Italy, France, Russia, Germany, Great Britain, Belgium, Austria and Japan. The city is located on the northern end of the Great Canal of China, which connects with the Huang He and Yangtze Rivers.

One of the four municipalities in China, Tianjin is one of the six co-host cities of the Beijing Olympics 2008. The city will be hosting the football preliminary matches. Tianjin is the gateway to the capital of People's Republic of China and is merely an hour away by train from Beijing. The Tianjin Olympic center is situated to the southwest of the city's downtown area. It consists of three sections - the competition section, the comprehensive section and the accommodation section. The Olympics football preliminaries will be held in the city at the Tianjin Olympic Centre Stadium. The six-floor stadium has a seating capacity of 60,000 people. The stadium will also take care of the entertainment, shopping and exercising needs as it will have facilities like marketplace, exhibition hall, gym and conference hall.

Tianjin is the largest sea port of northern China and being merely 120 km away from Beijing shares a similar kind of climate with the capital city. Tianjin has increasingly been growing in importance as an international trade centre and tourist destination. The city lately has seen a rise in the tourist population both from within and outside China. Tianjin can also be reached without much of a hassle owing to its proximity with Beijing and the presence of Tianjin Binhai International Airport. The port city also has several international and domestic sea routes, which can be used to reach the city. Tianjin is a pleasant place to spend your vacations at and visiting the city, while it co-hosts the Beijing Olympics 2008, is an even better time to be in the city.