Tianjin is easily reachable by air, land and sea. It serves as a major port for the shipping of goods in and out of North China. Its international airport is located approximately 13 km outside the city center. Tianjin has four different railway stations serving cities all over China, and its world-class network of expressways and highways facilitates traveling in and out of the city by bus.
Unlike other cities, Tianjin's winding streets are not easy to navigate, but its various modes of transportation cover its entire area. First time visitors usually end up taking taxis around the city. It also has a subway line that covers 22 popular areas of the city.
Port of Tianjin
Tianjin port is the world’s top-level and China’s largest artificial deepwater harbor, and the throughput capacity ranks the fifth place in the world. Located in Binhai Economic Zone, a national new economic zone of China, Tianjin harbor is the port of call of international cruises visiting the wider area, including Beijing.
Trams
Main articles: Trams in Tianjin and TEDA Modern Guided Rail Tram
Tianjin's harbor area of Binhai/TEDA has an ultramodern, high speed rubber tired tram system, which is the first of its kind in China & Asia. Constructed in 2006, this marked a return of the tram to Tianjin, which once had an extensive standard steel-wheeled tramway network. The Tianjin tram network was constructed by a Belgian company in 1904 and opened in 1906. It was the first city-wide tramway system in China. It closed in 1972.
Rapid transit
Main articles: Tianjin Metro and Binhai Mass Transit
Light Railway
There is also a light railway line in the city, the Binhai Mass Transit line. The line runs between downtown Tianjin and TEDA (Tianjin Economic Development Area) in the seaside region. The eastern part of the line began service on March 28, 2004. The western part of the line is scheduled to be completed in 2006.
There is also a guided rail tram system in TEDA, called TEDA Modern Guided Rail Tram.
Metro
The municipality consists of two rapid transit systems, Tianjin Metro and Binhai Mass Transit. They are currently under heavy expansion from three to nine lines. Four lines are currently operating both in the City and the Binhai area. As of October 2009, the entire network of Tianjin Metro and Binhai Mass Transit has 50 stations and 4 lines.
