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Tianjin, one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government in China, is located in the northeast of the North China Plain and is the closest seaport to Beijing. The city is one of the biggest industrial and port cities in China and it is also known as "the diamond of the Bohai Gulf". Tianjin covers an area of 11,000 square kilometers and has a population in excess of 10 million people.
The climate of Tianjin is a temperate, continental-type monsoon climate with the four seasons distinct from one another. The mean temperature of the year is 12.2'c with that of January being -4'c and that of July 26.8'c. The average annual rainfall is 559.1mm., most of which is concentrate in summer. In winter, the port is frozen over for 80 days.
Tianjin has a long and illustrious history, from an ordinary fishing village to the most important trade center in Northern China. Tianjin was considered to be one of China's most important military fortresses in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) due to its particular geographic location as access point to Beijing, the national capital. Its name "Tianjin" was graciously bestowed by the Emperor Zhudi in the early years of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Tianjin means "the place where the emperor crossed the river". In 1860, after the First Opium War, Tianjin was further expanded to become the second largest business and communications center in the country. By the end of the 19th century, it had grown into a bustling center for international commerce.
Tianjin's location in the middle of North China's gold coast was a natural setting to be developed as a trading port. Today Tianjin has China's largest container wharf and ships from every country of the world use its facilities. Major domestic and international airlines serve the coastal international airport. Tianjin also is a very important railway junction terminal for the two main lines: Tianjin to Shandong and Tianjin to Shanghai.
As a famous city with a long history and culture, Tianjin has rich tourism resources. Three scenic spots have been set up: a tourism attraction of the downtown sightseeing spot along the Haihe River and cultural relics as well as the memorial location of the revolutionary struggle; the Tanggu seaside recreational area characterized by the Port of Tianjin, mainly by the harbor, salt plant and oil field; and the Jixian County sightseeing district famous for natural scenic spots and cultural relics. "10 tourism spots" of Tianjin have been set up, as: Huangyaguan Great Wall, the site of Dagu Fortification with Built-in cannons, Old Dule Temple in Jixian County, Tourism Area of Pan Mountain, Scenic Line along Haihe River, Water Park, Scenic Line along the Circulating Line, Ancient Cultural Street, Nanshi Food Street and Hotel Street and Tianjin TV Tower. Some natural protective areas, as:the Geological Natural Protective Area in the Middle of Proterozoic Erathem, the Natural Second Growth ProtectiveArea in Eight Immortals Mountain, the Natural Protective Area of Ancient Coastline and Damp Place have been decided as the national natural protective areas. Named as World's Construction Fair, several hundred foreign buildings had been protected well in Tianjin, which are the witnesses for China being suffered to be a self-colony invaded by the imperialism and also the fruit of wisdom of people's labor. They have become a big landscape of Tianjin.
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