Comments on: Tianjin rated #1 Most Livable City in China; Beijing & Shanghai exposed as overrated gong shows

By: eda quincy

eda quincy — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:52:26 +0000

good blog!
nice meeting you by the way.
Except traditional hospital and firecups, Shenyang Dao Antique Market, I almost hate the city. It might caused that I am coming for business and spend my time in industrial area pretty much. I did not even watch my face for days because I got an idea the water is polluted. never mind, waiting for your new experiences. ıf you have time take a look at my posts, some of them has English version:))

eda
http://edaquincy.typepad.com

By: The Informer

The Informer — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:39:27 +0000

Tianjin might even be a little safer than the following city, check out this link:

By: RichFromTampa

RichFromTampa — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:08:22 +0000

After visiting locals 5or6 times and enjoying many weeks in Tianjin, I’d like to add that this “most livable” award is overdue.Tianjin is a wonderful city, with warmth and character.

By: Mike Eden

Mike Eden — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:31:19 +0000

Shenyang also needs to be mentioned as a large city with a small city feel. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that we’re so close to Tianjin.

By: chriswaugh_bj

chriswaugh_bj — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:38:39 +0000

Oh, I noticed, I’m just adding my support. Although I vastly prefer Beijing, for my own reasons, I recognise Tianjin as a decent city in its own right. Actually, my first experience of Tianjin, as you can probably tell, was mid-summer. I can understand how arriving mid-winter would create quite a different first impression.

I do have to say, though, that while I was in Tianjin, fully half the foreigners I met loved Tianjin, while the other half constantly whinged about how much they prefer Beijing. So far as I can tell, I was the only one who actually did anything about that preference. Also, the Tianjinren I’ve met who prefer Beijing I’ve met in Beijing, while those I met in Tianjin were quite happy where they were. It’s not a question of rivalry, it’s a question of personal taste.

By: oiasunset

oiasunset — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 05:15:07 +0000

Make no mistake. I’m actually quite fond of Tianjin, having lived there for a while in Tiyuanbei.

The restaurants are very nice and dirty-cheap. The wet markets are stocked with the freshest vegetables and fruits. Not to mention jianbinguozi – I once ate four (two eggs for each) one morning.

By: Joel

Joel — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:45:35 +0000

oiasunset — ha! I’ve heard that one! There’s another joke along the same lines my language teachers told me, about Osama bin Laden sending suicide bombers to China, but they turn back from Tianjin for the same reason. I should have remembered to put those in the post.

chriswaugh_bj — As I’m sure you noticed, this post is a little tongue-in-cheek, like cheering for your home team even though you know they won’t make the playoffs. ;) I have yet to meet a foreigner or Chinese national who seriously thinks TJ even begins to rival BJ. Our first impression of Tianjin was taking the bus from the Beijing airport during Spring Festival. Everything was gray, the roads surface and the wind was littered with piles of firecracker debris, and we had to stop the bus because there was a fistfight between taxi drivers in the middle of the road (with the ensuing crowd, of course). We’d just arrived from Taipei via two weeks in Chiangmai, and we were a little shocked by the contrast.

I like having Beijing close enough to visit, but it’s louder, faster, dirtier, and has worse traffic than TJ… Tianjin feels a little more relaxed to me (as giant cities go). But I really don’t know Beijing; we’ve only made the occasional short trips over there.

By: oiasunset

oiasunset — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:39:33 +0000

The good classic joke about Tianjin:

The US and China are at war. A squadron of USAF bombers was sent to carpet-bomb Tianjian. But the bombers returned to the base without having dropped one single bomb.

The general was furious and demanded an explanation from the pilot commander. The commander looked at the general and said, “Are you kidding me? The place has already been bombed thoroughly before we got there.”

By: chriswaugh_bj

chriswaugh_bj — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:16:48 +0000

“If you disregard your first impressions and look at it from the proper angle,”

Actually, my first impressions were quite positive. I arrived late on the last bus from Beijing airport and was most impressed with the number of people still sitting out in those impromptu beer gardens that spring up in Tianjin neighbourhoods in the summer time. Once I’d deposited my luggage in the crappy little dorm my school provided, I promptly went out and joined them.

“but they don’t know what they’re missing.”

Actually, I do, and that’s why I’m in Beijing.

But you’re right, Tianjin is quite a liveable city and I understand why so many people like it. I just prefer Beijing.