On the way back from Harbin, I made a quick stop in a city about half an hour outside of Beijing called Tianjin. Stepping off the train I was first shocked by the temperature difference from Harbin, which was, thankfully, significantly warmer. It was a beautiful day to walk along the river that runs through downtown Tianjin where I could admire the beautiful architecture. Some buildings were shiny and reflective, others looked like they came straight out of Europe. Most impressive to me was the Tianjin Eye, an approx. 394 foot tall Ferris wheel that stretches from one side of the river to the other.
Walking in Tianjin I felt like I was in a completely different continent, let alone definitely not China. On top of many of the buildings having a Western feel, there is also a quite popular “Italian Food Street” that almost made me feel like I was back home in Boston in the North End! There I found plenty of restaurants serving western food from Italian to German to French, hot dog stands, and little shops selling souvenirs and various street food. These cobblestone streets were brimming with life!
A final walk along the river reflecting the beautiful sunset was the perfect way to end the day in Tianjin just before catching a quick train ride back home to Beijing…
