Tianjin

Pros: Not crowded, good shopping, nice day trip
Cons: Polluted air, tricky to get around without a little knowledge of Chinese

Having lived in Beijing for the last ten months, I had the opportunity about a month ago to make an overnight trip to Tianjin and see what it was all about. I was excited about what this sizeable port city had to offer. However, after visiting, I came...

Pros: Proximity to Beijing, Cheap and some places to go
Cons: Not a tourist city, No world class tourist attraction

I have lived in Tianjin for five years until last year when I moved to US. My five years in Tianjin were not terrible yet it is vastly different from Beijing.
Mostly importantly, Tianjin is a new industrial city. It means that there is no palace...

Pros: cheap shopping
Cons: not that exciting

If you only have a few days in Beijing, for God's sake don't waste time going to Tianjin. But if you're staying in the Beijing area for a long time, hopping on the train to Tianjin can be a nice day trip. There are even more outdoor clothing markets here...

Pros: short distance from Beijing,shopping cheaper,college town feel,more stares than Beijing
Cons: never take bus/taxi to city from Beijing

I enjoyed this city as a break away from the hustle and bustle of Beijing for a weekend. I was lucky to have my own tour guide which was my penpal from the internet. Haveing a personal tour guide friend offered me the chance to really see the real China...

Pros: Laid back people/pace, decent universities, cheaper than Beijing, safe for a big city
Cons: Dirty and polluted, boring, conservative populace, little regard for the law

First, I can't really give a travelers view of Tianjin as I actually ended up living there for about three years. I will say that at first it felt somewhat fresh and wasn't all bad, but each subsequent year became a little more insufferable. For this ...

Pros: cheap tailor made clothes
Cons: few sights

Tianjin is quickly growing due to the future Olympics in Beijing. It is a great stop for it's Ancient Culture Street. There are both old and new items for sale that reflect China's history. It is also a worth while trip if you are interested in anything tailored made. The tailors are more than competent in making clothes for the western body shape. They can make any thing as simple as a button up shirt to the more completed beaded wedding dress. If you can design it, they can make it. Even better, take a picture from your favorite magazine and they can duplicate it.

As for other sights around Tianjin, they are few. The HuTongs are quickly disappearing due to "progress", high rise buildings. Machang Dao area is a nice reflection of life before 1949. This was the area that housed foreigners. Though it is not Chinese, the architecture is worth seeing. Like most of China, you need to some at least some Chinese to get around.