Tianjin

Tianjin is a major northern port municipality on the Bohai Gulf, historically Beijing's gateway to the sea and a former treaty port with rich colonial architecture. With a metropolitan population of around 14 million, it combines a busy modern port and financial district with atmospheric old European quarters. The climate is a temperate monsoon one, giving hot, humid summers and cold, dry, windy winters. Landmarks include the Tianjin Eye ferris wheel built on a bridge, the elegant Five Great Avenues, the Ancient Culture Street, and the mosaic-covered Porcelain House. Tianjin has a lively snack culture famed for Goubuli steamed buns, Shibajie fried dough twists, and guobacai. It runs a modern metro, Binhai International Airport, and sits just half an hour from Beijing by high-speed rail. For an international student, Tianjin offers big-city amenities and strong universities at lower cost than Beijing, with the capital right next door.