Tianjin, called "Jin" for short, is one of the four municipalities directly under the Central Government of China. Not only is it an international harbor and economic center in the north of China, but it is also well-known for its profound historical and cultural heritage.
It took a long time for the city to come into being. In ancient times, sea water receded from what is Tianjinnow. For three times, the Yellow River, with the highest content of sand in the world, flowed through this place into the sea, thus forming Tianjin Plain. Even today, a few seashell dikes of ancient times can still be found in such places as Shanggulin in Tianjin. According to research findings, these dikes are the remains of the ancient coastal lines.
The name of "Tianjin", meaning "a port for the emperor", was first adopted in the first year of Yongle Reign in Ming Dynasty. In the second year of Yongle Reign (1404), Tianjin became a walled garrison. In 1860 Tianjin was opened as a trading port. In the 1930s, Tianjin became the largest industrial and commercial city and financial center in the north of China.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Tianjin became a municipality directly under the central government. In 1978, with the adoption of the policy to reform and open up to the outside world, Tianjinbecame one of the first coastal cities in China to open up.